Beauxbatons' Institute for Witchcraft and Wizardry
by Patchwork Dr
Summary: A visit to France gave Harry a twist in fate. Instead of Hogwarts, Harry attends Beauxbatons. Once again, the Triwizard Tournament comes around and Harry's life takes a huge turn, one that will lead to all out war. DISCONTINUED: REWRITE IN PROGRESS!
1. Chapter 1

"Bonjour, welcome to Paris!" a tour guide said as the bus drove down a very large street. Harry glanced at all the buildings. He was impressed. Even on the first day of the week-long trip that the Dursleys took him on only because he 'would likely destroy the house if they left him home' his first impression of France was that it was a very lovely place with nice buildings and weather. It was definitely less rainy than England.

When the bus passed a massive building, Harry's eyes widened. It looked like a twin of Notre Dame except that the building was larger and built like a college campus with many much smaller buildings surrounding it. No one else seemed to notice it.

"What's that?" Harry asked his tour guide. The woman squinted and looked to where Harry was pointing but shook her head. "I'm sorry, but, I don't see anything. What are you trying to show me?" she asked kindly. Harry huffed.

"The massive building in between the shops!" he exclaimed. He couldn't believe anyone couldn't see it! Suddenly a bony hand clamped around his mouth.

"I'm sorry! My nephew is a little troubled in the head. He won't be bothering you again, will he?" she asked menacingly. Harry looked up at his aunt in fear and shook his head. Aunt Petunia's smile widened a little, "now go sit down boy!" she growled and shoved Harry into his seat. His last glimpse of the building was of the sun shining between a pair of twin buildings which made him sigh.

"I guess I am crazy after all," Harry muttered and slumped into his seat. Maybe the rest of his visit to Paris wouldn't be as weird? How wrong he was.

It was around sundown that the Dursleys decided to go to dinner. They sneered at him and told him he could have their scraps. Harry sighed and laid in his bed, staring at the ceiling. He reckoned the Dursleys wouldn't be back for a few hours. Perhaps he could go exploring like Dudley usually did during the day? He just had to make sure he wasn't caught...

Walking along the streets of Paris he looked around. If he remembered right and if he wasn't crazy... There it was! He sprinted across the street to see the massive building shining in the sunset stone walls seemed ancient. Now that he got a better look, the building seemed occupied. How could no one see this? He glanced up at the gate and squinted. He could probably climb that.

When Harry managed to climb up the gate, a gust of wind threw him backwards into a tree. He groaned and rubbed his back. Just inside the gate was a little blonde girl looking at the boy, raising an eyebrow.

"Qui êtes-vous?" the girl asked.

Harry raised an eyebrow, "What?"

She smirked, "English, oui?" she asked. Harry nodded, "I asked who are you?"

"My name is Harry Potter,." he said and glared through the fence, "what is yours?"

She huffed and straightened up a little in pride, "My name is Fleur Delacour,." she smirked as if that meant something to him.

"Charmed," he rolled his eyes. He hated people who thought themselves better than everyone else. "what is this place?"

Fleur eyed the boy with curiosity. How could he have not heard the last name Delacour? Then again, he sounded English." 'Zis is Beauxbatons. It is one of ze top magical schools in Europe," Fleur answered.

Harry snorted, "Don't be silly! Magic isn't real!" Harry expected her to laugh and tell him it was all some prank, however Fleur looked deadly serious.

"Wait. You said your last name was Potter? Zat sounds familiar. Are your parents James and Lily Potter?" Fleur asked. Harry nodded.

"Those were their names," Harry answered sadly. Fleur felt awkward with Magical Britain's top celebrity in front of her eyes. He also seemed to have no knowledge of magic. How queer. She shook her head.

"You must come with me at once!" she opened the gate which clicked loudly. She grabbed the boy's arm before he could react. He opened his mouth to protest but sighed.

"I suppose I don't have anything better to do. At least it's better than the Dursleys," he muttered. She smiled and continued to pull him towards the massive building. As he came closer he felt shivers run down his spine and butterflies flutter in his stomach. He steeled his nerves and followed the young blonde girl through the main doors.

Harry's first impression of the interior of the impressive castle was it was warm. The floor seemed to be made of marble and the walls carved from stone however he felt warm and at home. He smiled.

As they were walking through the many hallways and up the steep staircases, Harry felt many questions enter his conscience. "Hey Fleur?"

"Oui?" she asked.

"When you asked my parents names, how did you know them. Also, what does being a wizard exactly mean? It it like, a metaphor for something?" Harry looked very clueless. When the girl's laugh echoed through the hallowed halls, Harry blushed in embarrassment.

"It eez nothing to be embarrassed about 'Arry. To answer ze easier question, you are a wizard. Zat means you have the ability to control objects through a force called magic. It is amazing," Fleur said and sighed. "Ze second I vill leave to our esteemed headmistress, Madame Maxime."

They eventually reached a pair of oak doors with many beautiful designs of flowers and vines carved into the wood. When the doors opened on their own, Harry jumped back. "Come in." a voice echoed.

Inside was a woman taller than anyone Harry had ever seen. She seemed to emit a friendly yet, strict aura. She smiled at the two children and nodded to Fleur who also nodded then took a seat. She grabbed Harry by the arm and pulled him into a seat which cause the half giantess to chuckle.

"Welcome to Beauxbatons! May I ask your name?" Madame Maxime asked smiling at the boy who shuffled in his seat. Harry looked up and called himself down.

"I-I'm Harry Potter. It's a pleasure...?"

"My name is Olympe Maxime however you may call me Madame Maxime." Harry nodded in understanding and looked to Fleur then back to the headmistress.

"According to Fleur who met me outside I'm some sort of-"

"Wizard, Monsieur Potter," Madame Maxime answered for the boy. She was surprised that Harry Potter didn't know about magic.

"R-right. So I guess you learn magic in this place?" Harry asked. Even when feeling happy here, he still felt a pang of cynicism. It felt like the Dursleys would pop up any second and this dream would become a nightmare. So far so good. Madame Maxime nodded.

"Yes. Beauxbatons is one of the top 3 renowned European schools." Harry let out a breath he didn't know he was holding and made himself look directly into Madame Maxime's eyes.

"I would like to enroll here. I'd like to learn magic especially if my parents learned it as well," Harry said quickly. He looked down and blushed. He really hated being around new people and he was still processing the reality of magic.

"But my dear! What of your guardians?" Madame Maxime asked. Harry automatically scowled and the headmistress prepared herself for the worst.

"My guardians don't care about me. They wouldn't care if I disappeared and didn't come back. To be completely honest, I wouldn't mind never seeing them again," Harry explained. Madame Maxime sighed and looked at the boy. He certainly could afford Beauxbatons being a Potter.

"When do you turn eleven?" she asked.

"End of July, Madame," Harry answered respectfully. Madame Maxime smiled.

"Then I don't see why not."

"Ooh! Madame! We 'ave Potter! We 'ave Potter!" Fleur danced around smiling. Harry laughed.

"Well, I'm certainly glad to be here. I really don't want to go back to the Dursleys. May I please stay in the castle until it's time for school?" Harry asked with pleading eyes. Madame Maxime looked apologetic which made Harry lower his eyes.

"I'm afraid not 'arry. However until we can find suitable guardians, I'm sure Fleur and her family could take you. Isn't zat alright Fleur?" The girl's eyes widened. She nodded and grinned at Harry.

"Oh! Zis will be so much fun 'arry! You'll love Beauxbatons!"

Harry groaned and rubbed his eyes. He looked up to find Fleur smirking at him. "Did you 'ave a good dream 'arry?" He scowled and sat up. His first three years at Beauxbatons were very fun. It was third year however that Harry finally found a proper guardian.

It wasn't that he disliked Mr. and Mrs. Delacour but he needed a proper father or mother figure to guide him. With his best friend's mother and father, it was sometimes awkward and strange. When Sirius Black had broken out, Harry read about the man and realized he never got a trial. With a few words to Madame Maxime who was practically family for him, she talked to the minister for Magical France. In a few weeks, Sirius Black got his trial and was assigned as Harry's guardian.

"Oh shove off!" Harry pushed her arm playfully. She giggled and started opening a box of droobles gum. Harry quickly snatched a piece and started chewing. "You know, I dreamt of when we first met. It's still the memory that fuels my Patronus. And to think, it happened four years ago."

Fleur smirked and flicked his nose. "Come 'arry, time for reminiscing later. I zink we arrived at this 'ogwarts for the Triwizard Championship." Harry grinned and looked out the window where the castle grew larger and larger.

"Wow..." He said breathlessly, "So this is where my parents went huh?" He remembered the stories his godfather told him of his parents.

Fleur grinned, "Even if your parents went here, do not feel too bad when we crush zem in ze championship!" Harry laughed.

"I don't know Fleur, from what I've heard Hogwarts is the 'finest school of witchcraft and wizardry'. Of course, so are we and every other bloody school in Europe," Fleur snorted.

"Please, we are ze best obviously," Fleur answered pompously. Her aura flared and Harry grinned.

"Nice try, Fleur. You almost caught me off guard." Harry laughed when Fleur turned red.

"I will get you 'arry Potter! I've got every boy in this school to fall for my aura and you will be no different!" Ever since Fleur developed her aura in his third year, and Harry had a competition. It was infamous in the school. She had even tried to crush Harry with her aura during classes. At one point it became so bad, the teachers banned the competition in the school. Of course, that didn't stop the two from trying and the teachers making bets on who would win.

Harry gazed down at the many Hogwarts students looking at the the carriage in awe. When they finally landed Harry opened the door for Fleur and allowed her to get out. She smirked, "What a gentleman." Harry grinned at the envious faces of the students. The girls of Fleur and the guys of Harry. Even in fourth year, Harry had definitely grown into the looks his father had.

Being in France had also done wonders for his rather pale complexion. After a year's regimen of nutrition potions, Harry had finally started growing properly. Harry led the boys while Fleur led the girls. Madame Maxime was in the back, watching the younger students who were a little more rambunctious.

Later that night, at dinner, Harry sat with Fleur speaking to the Ravenclaws. "So Harry, is Fleur your girlfriend?" an Asian fifth year asked. Harry snorted and Fleur choked on a piece of buttered bread.

"Girlfriend? Ms. Chang I am in fourth year. Fleur's in seventh. For now, she's way too old for me and also way out of my league." This made the girls' faces around Harry brighten. He noticed they slowly became more bold and Harry was growing tired of it. "Well I suppose I must be going soon. I am very tired and definitely need my rest." Harry left chuckling internally. So this was Hogwarts?

AN

A big thank you to Kayle2 for reading and editing this chapter! Seriously, it's amazing.


	2. Chapter 2

**Oh my God guys! We already passed fifty followers on this story! You all are seriously amazing. Also, to those who reviewed and I was unable to PM either because I was too busy or they were a guest, I know, my story isn't perfect. It won't ever be perfect. I understand correcting errors that were large plot holes however I'm not going to give ever small detail on everything that goes on in the story. Some things** **I give a vague description because I assume you guys are smart enough to kind of piece together some things. Finally, I absolutely will be doing flash backs in some chapters so if you really don't understand something, chill, it'll probably be explained later. Either way, I'm very glad you guys care enough to review and try to make it better. I will try to make sure if it's important to really go into detail. Anyways, ENJOY! ~Patchwork Dr.**

Harry awoke to the feeling of water splashing his face. He heard a giggle and blinked the sleep out of his eyes. He scowled at the blonde who was smiling above him. "Come along 'arry. We need to practice your French. By next year, after four years, you will finally be able to conversation in French!" She smiled excitedly while Harry groaned and switched.

"Fleur you know perfectly well that I... Am able to hold a conversation in French." Harry blushed because of the pause while he thought of his words while Fleur smirked and flicked his nose.

"Not quite ready yet Harry." Harry sighed and got up, following the Part-Veela to the main room of the magically enhanced carriage. Many students had already left to explore the grounds leaving just Fleur and Harry, much to his happiness. It was a little embarrassing to practice French in front of the other students who either pitied him or laughed at him.

Flashback

 _Harry walked quickly through the halls to his first class. Many students whispered and pointed in French, making him self conscious. His face reddened and he put his head down in embarrassment. Suddenly, a blonde blur rushed from behind him and stopped next to him. Looking up, it was his only friend, Fleur Delacour._

 _"Aw, do not worry about them 'arry, zey just find it odd because you're the only English student here." Harry blushed and nodded._

 _"I'd like to be able to understand them. At least the teachers help a little by rereading me the instructions. I'd like to be seen more than just that English student. Can you teach me French?" He blurted and looked down. Fleur smiled and patted his back._

 _"Sure 'arry, we will begin lessons tonight."_

End of Flashback

Harry managed to read the first chapter of a book Fleur gave him without getting much of a headache, "I suppose that will suffice for today. I actually might read some more later." He said to himself. He set the book down on his dresser and wiped his glasses while looking at the clock. It was around noon and Harry was hungry.

On a lovely Sunday like this, he just could not bare to continue to stay inside. He exited the carriage and walked along the path to the school. Many Hogwarts students hug around in groups. Many spent time near the lake laying in the shade of the large willow trees that dotted the lakeside.

Entering the Great Hall, he saw many Hogwarts students doing homework, laughing with their friends, or of course, eating. He walked over to the Ravenclaw table. The plate in front of him reacted quickly and food appeared. How very peculiar. Harry figured they must have been charmed to react to students and shrugged. He dug in with vigor.

Only when a very odd blonde plopped herself next to him did he look up from his food. She smiled dreamily and waved her hand in greeting, "Hello Harry Potter." She said. "It's been a pleasure to meet you. Although, I did not see this coming. It seems you are going Beauxbatons instead of Hogwarts." Harry raised an eyebrow at the strange girl.

"I see. Well I am going to Beauxbatons however you didn't see it coming? Does that mean you see other things coming similar to a seer?" He asked amusedly. Luna opened a rolled up newspaper which was upside down.

"I see as much as the next person." She answered and with that, her focus was trained entirely on the newspaper known as, "The Quibler". Harry throughout the day tried his best to collect as much sun as he could. It was truly, a nice day, if a little odd.

The weeks leading up to the tournament were filled with classes taught by Madame Maxime and a few other teachers who volunteered to come as well. Harry had always marveled at magic and being able to fit a boys bedroom and girls bedroom along with a few classrooms had blown his mind. Harry also learned kept reading the French book which slowly became easier to read as his mind was able to comprehend the sentences better. All seemed to be looking up.

"Welcome to the Triwizard Champion Choosing Ceremony!" Professor Dumbledore shouted, using a sonorous charm on his voice. Everyone in the Great Hall cheered and applauded. With a wave of his wand, a cup hovered in. The Goblet of Fire had many runes that seemed to be made of light fluttering around it like flies. Inside the goblet, a blue fame danced, occasionally shooting a few sparks in the air. It was time for the champions to be chosen.

He glanced at Fleur who was a row or two ahead of him. She looked back at him and smiled excitedly. Harry remembered she put in her name the day the submissions were announced. Harry laid back, letting himself be hypnotized by the cups beautiful designs and the fire that seemed to spit more sparks in what seemed to Harry as excitement. He wondered if this Goblet of Fire was somewhat sentient.

Suddenly, the blue fire roared and shot high into the air. When the fire died down, a single strip of paper fluttered into the hands of Dumbledore. "The Hogwarts champion is... CEDRIC DIGGORY!" He shouted. Beauxbatons applauded politely while Hogwarts roared with excitement. The Durmstrang school was completely silent. He caught a glimpse of some shuffling of hands as money swapped back and forth.

The next time the goblet spat out a small piece of paper, the Durmstrang champion was decided, "VICTOR KRUM!" This time the sound from the Bulgarian school went wild as their start student marched over and shook the judges' hands. The other two clapped until the champion disappeared behind the door of the smaller room where the champions waited.

Finally, the goblet spit out the name of the Beaxbatons champion, "FLEUR DELACOUR!" Professor Dumbledore shouted. Harry felt he clapped the hardest however grew annoyed when he heard a few wolf whistles. It was silent until Dumbledore cleared his throat.

"Ah, yes well it seems the Goblet of Fire has chosen all of it's champions! The first event-" suddenly it flared again. Harry looked on with curiousity. Could there be a fourth champion? He wondered who could managed to fool the goblet when he heard two words that made his stomach drop. "Harry Potter.

Inside the room Harry walked in stiffly as if walking to his own grave. Fleur looked up and he saw her lips frown slightly. " 'arry? Do zey want us back in zey Great 'all?" She asked. All Harry could do was shake his head slowly.

"I... I..." Harry stuttered before Madame Maxime walked in behind Professor Dumbledore. He looked Harry in the eye and his eyes twinkled.

"Mr. Potter," he asked calmly, "did you put your name in the Goblet of Fire?" Harry shook his head and Madame Maxime looked on with concern.

"What about any ozzer students 'arry? Did they put your name in for you?" She asked. Harry shook his head again. He didn't trust himself to answer lest he accidentally puke. Dumbledore looked grave as if a funeral had happened before his eyes.

"I am afraid Mr. Potter will have to compete." Dumbledore said quietly. The Bulgarian headmaster, Igor Karkaroff frowned.

"Vat! Beauxbatons has two champions?! Zis is unbelievable! I demand a second champion!" He shouted in anger. A man appeared in the doorway and chuckled. He limped in and glared at Karkaroff.

"Oh please Igor, you know as well as I young Mr. Potter here is not just some suicidal hormonal teenager! I'll tell ya, it's something dark that confused the cup. Probably made it think there wS four schools competing then entered the boy's name." His electric blue eye swiveled to Harry and looked back at the man.

Harry looked to Fleur for support. She smiled assuringly and Harry also smiled a little. He was sure everything would be alright. He nodded his head and one of the judges, a Mr. Crouch, began talking about the first challenge and how long they had to prepare. Unfortunately, they seemed to keep the actual challenge a secret.

That night, when Madame Maxime returned them to the carriage, she left them to the crowd of curious students.

" _What happened Fleur?_ " One shouted

" _Yea, are you the champion or is Harry?_ " Another asked.

Fleur sighed and glanced at Harry who stepped next to her, " _we are both the champions. The Goblet of Fire was jinxed or charmed to make Harry compete as well. You all know the story of Harry's parents and according to Professor Dumbledore, a dark wizard is making an attempt at Harry's life. However, we are Beauxbatons! We will stick with Harry because he is our own! Let those foolish English dark wizards try their best! We will keep Harry safe and win the tournament!_ " After this long speech everyone. Looked at Harry and cheered. Even if he wasn't French, he loved them all like his family.

The next morning it seemed the entire castle except for the Beauxbatons was on edge. After speaking too Gryffindor name Lavender Brown, who claimed knowledge of every rumor in the mill at Hogwarts, one half of Hogwarts had taken Fleur's side, which mainly consisted boys while the other had taken Harry's side, which mainly consisted of girls. He did notice many boys were glaring at him but he just couldn't really bring himself to care. After finishing speaking with the blushing Gryffindor, Harry spotted Luna and sat next to her.

"Good morning Luna. Have you had a good morning?" He asked politely and started buttering a piece of toast. Luna looked up dreamily and smiled.

"Oh you know, just the usual. It seems your head is filled with wrackspurts." She answered and nodded firmly, "is something on your mind?" Harry sighed.

"I really do believe you're a seer. Yea I do have something on my mind. Fleur is the true champion and while I don't mind competing with her, this was her time to shine and do well. It feels like I'm stomping on her chance to prove to others she's more than a pretty face, you know?" Luna turned to look at him.

"Oh I wouldn't worry about that. I'd worry about the burns on your hands and arms when your plan fails." Harry raised an eyebrow. "You know, this potato looks a lot like the sorting hat. See? Here's the big fold it has for a mouth." Harry pursed his lips.

"What did you mean by burns Luna?" He asked worriedly.

"Oh you'll see soon enough." She smiled knowingly and skipped away to wherever she goes.

"Argh! Seers... I swear she is one... Heh, undercover seer." Harry chuckled and continued eating his breakfast, still more or less worried about what Luna had said.

It was late afternoon when classes had finished and Harry told Fleur what Luna had said. "Well, I do not know zis Luna person very well but if what you say is true, we both must be on our guard."

An arm grabbed both Harry and Fleur and they turned. Madame Maxime smiled and pulled them both towards the forest. "Come with me." She muttered quickly. They continued after her. The sun was low, just peaking over the mountains when the trio looked through a thin layer of bushes at a clearing filled with cages.

"Dragons?!" Harry mouthed to Fleur. She shrugged and looked back at the fire-spewing monsters. He shook off his surprise and continued to look on in awe. He was going to face a God damned dragon?!

When Harry got back to the carriage he gave a shout and kicked a nearby chair which toppled over. "Dragons?! Are you kidding me?! I'm fourteen! No one under seventeen has ever faced a dragon and lived to tell the tale much less than try to beat it! What are they thinking!" Harry huffed and sighed, falling back into an armchair. Fleur laid back on a couch and looked thoughtfully.

It was a week before the first task when the weighing of wands ceremony took place. "I suppose we should start with the youngest eh? Mr. Potter." Mr. Ollivander held his hand out where Harry placed his wand. "Ah yes, a custom made wand yes? Very nice. Flexible. I do believe that it is a heartstrings of a dragon and is it Weeping willow? I've never made my wands withthat personally. Very temperamental as a medium. Well, anyways, it is in fine working order."

The rest seemed very dull. A vile woman named Rita Skeeter wanted an interview alone but after a quick session of him snapping her quick-quotes quill in half and lighting both pieces on fire, the interview was cut short. All too soon, the first task was upon the four champions.


	3. Chapter 3

Harry sat in the tent with Cedric and Fleur as Victor Krum was taking on his dragon. Harry was ready. He was known for his flying in France and he thought of using that to his advantage. Trying to outfly a dragon normally would be almost impossible. However, this dragon was chained to the ground, maybe he could get through and get the egg. He was one of the best flyers in Beauxbatons, why not test his abilities against a dragon?

Next up was Fleur. She smiled confidently at the boys and strode out to the arena. A few seconds later the dragon roared followed by some cheers. Harry hoped she was okay.

Cedric smiled weakly at him while Harry continued to look grim. Five or six minutes later, Fleur was victorious and next was Cedric. Harry looked longingly at the flap of the tent. He wasn't sure which was worse, waiting for the dragon or actually facing the beast. Soon, Harry was called out.

Harry felt a thin line of sweat slide down his temple and his jaw. He slowly wiped his face and faced the dragon. It looked at him with cruel curiosity and snorted. Without warning, the dragon's maw opened and a raging inferno blasted towards Harry.

Quickly, Harry waved his wand and a boulder flew in the way of the flames. The fire warmed the rock up and Harry avoided touched the smoldering stone. He waved his wand and called out, "Accio Firebolt!' It was a three minutes until the broom managed to get to the arena. Suddenly with a blast of flames, the Firebolt was reduced to ashes. Harry looked dumbstruck.

"Ooh! Harry Potter's Firebolt is destroyed before he can mount it! What will he do in this tight situation?!" One judge, Bagman, he remembered, announced. Harry looked around and didn't see much for transfiguring. The only thing he could really use are the eggs, and the boulder.

Harry quickly banished the large rock at the dragon's maw which was about to let loose another spout of fire. The fans in the stadium were cheering like mad. He bolted for the eggs. Distracted with the large object that was lodged in it's throat, the dragon didn't pay attention to the small human who weaved through it's legs towards the eggs.

Harry was ten feet from the eggs when the dragon's tail smashed into his back. He landed in a ditch and groaned. Once he blinked the spots out of his eyes, he became aware of his surroundings. He glared at the damned egg that got him into so much trouble.

He tried casting an Accio and a Wingardium Leviosa but the egg didn't budge. He groaned frustratingly then paused and grinned. He cast a Wingardium Leviosa and levitated the other eggs which thankfully weren't spell proof in front of the dragon which finally managed to spit out the Boulder.

By the time the dragon turned to him, he managed to float the last egg to another pile. The dragon lumbered over to the real eggs where she curled around then and growled at Harry. Before the dragon decided to torch him, bite him, or maul him, he dashed for the egg and scooped it up. He held the golden egg up victoriously and headed to the medical tent. He definitely needed some medical attention.

Fleur hugged Harry tightly while sniffling, "My God Harry! I was watching the whole thing! You should be lucky aren't harmed or worse!" She cried. Harry patted her back.

"Don't worry Fleur, I'm the Boy-Who-Lived! I can't die! That would ruin the title!" He answered. Fleur laughed and punched his arm.

"Leetle boy." She smirked. Harry was about to retort when a flood of movement made him stumble backwards. With all the reporters from the newspapers from France, Britain and Bulgaria, Harry was barely able to hear himself think! It seemed like Fleur and Victor enjoyed the attention while Cedric seemed nonchalant. Harry just felt really uncomfortable.

"For the last time, I do not have a love interest!" He shouted at a young reporter who was turned red from embarrassment. He felt a little bad for shouted but marched out of the tent with his egg. Outside was Luna with a reporter's hat on. She clicked a pen and smiled.

"Hullo Harry. Fancy meeting you out here. Would you do me the pleasure of giving me an exclusive interview? I promise I won't be as annoying as those other reporters. I only write sensible things like the wrackspurts that infect the Slytherin dormitories." She said convinced. Harry gave her an odd look and nodded.

"I suppose so Luna." She walked him over to the edge of the Forbidden Forest and plopped down on a log. He sat across from her on a tree stump. "So Luna, what do you want to ask me for your exclusive interview?" Harry asked.

"Well, I was wondering about the breeds of crumple-horned snorkacks in the wilds of France. Are they different from the breeds that roam around England?" Luna asked. Harry frowned and scratched his chin, deciding to play along.

"Well, they're about eight feet high and don't really like sunlight. Their teeth are razor sharp-"

"Harry, don't you remember? Snorkacks are herbivores." Luna corrected. Harry laughed and nodded.

"Oh yes, right but the ones I saw did have sharp teeth! They seemed to like to eat whatever they can get their hands on." Luna nodded thoughtfully.

"Now that you mention it, I think I remember reading somewhere that snorkacks are sometimes omnivores. Thanks Harry. That's all I wanted to ask you." She stood up and stretched. "I am very hungry. Do you wish to join me in the Great Hall for some lunch?" Harry shrugged.

"Sure Luna, I could eat." Harry said. The two walked up to the castle and opened the doors to the Great Hall. Most of the students were there and talking excitedly of the tournament. He plopped himself down on a seat next to Luna and began to eat.

The girl from the other night, Cho Chang, sat down across from Harry and smiled. "Oh Harry I just loved how you battled the dragon! You were so brave." Harry smiled and nodded in thanks. She brightened and continued, "So I was wondering if-"

Fleur materialized behind Harry and grabbed his shoulders. "Oh 'Arry! I am so proud of you! I can't believe you improvised zat entire zing! Even if you're in last place, you did well." Harry shrugged.

"Well, I'm not really worried about winning. I'm more or less worried about surviving this year. Hogwarts has been one surprise after another." Harry shook his head and laughed, "it's no wonder my parents loved it here!" Cho pridefully smiled while Fleur frowned slightly.

"Of course, Beauxbatons is still ze best, non?" Fleur asked hastily. Harry didn't notice, still admiring the Great Hall. Harry nodded without much conviction.

"Of course." Harry answered. This didn't help Fleur's worries.

Soon, it was wintertime. Ice and snow coated almost everything that wasn't sheltered by the buildings. Harry absolutely loved winter. Christmas was his favorite holiday ever since he was actually being paid any attention by those around him.

Many students stayed indoors during this time. Harry however, loved walking through the grounds with the soft crunch of snow under his shows and the light snow fall. This left Harry to his thoughts about this champion business.

Of course, Madame Maxime had told everyone about the Yule Ball which was in a week or two. Harry never really worried about it since he wasn't going to compete be a champion. Now that he was chosen as a plot to get him killed, along with the struggles of surviving a deadly tournament, Harry had to find a date. He sighed and started heading back to the carriages. Maybe Fleur would be able to help. Heck, she might even go to the ball with him.' As a friend of course' he added as an afterthought. Fleur was very attractive but he'd already said it, she was way too old. She also was way out of his league in his opinion.

He found her in her room reading some spellbook and muttering under breathe the spell she was currently learning. He smiled, "hey Fleur."

She looked up and smiled, "Hey Harry! Have you figured out that egg riddle yet?" She asked. She figured it out a day ago and had hoped to help Harry if he hadn't figured it out.

"Unfortunately I haven't. Fleur I-" Harry started. Fleur put a finger to his lips.

"Follow me then Harry! I figured it out yesterday! We Beauxbatons must stick together!" She shouted triumphantly and dragged him by the arm. He was going to protest and get to the question in his head however Fleur kept cutting him off.

Finally they reached the lake and she dipped the egg in the water and opened it. Instead of the horrible screeching that usually came out a melodic voice echoed as if through distorted microphone.

"Wow..." He said breathlessly. "Merpeople then?" He asked. She nodded. He shook his head getting back to the reason he sought her out. "Fleur I was wondering if you'd like to go to the ball with me..." He said quickly, forgetting his French.

Fleur looked like a deer in front of headlights. He looked down and Fleur put a hand on her shoulder. "Oh I am so sorry 'arry! A boy from Ravenclaw, Roger Davis, asked me and I said yes. I'm really sorry!" She smiled reassuringly, "I am sure you'll be able to find someone! You're the Boy-Who-Lived!" She punched his arm lightly and he chuckled.

"Yea, I suppose... Anyways, thanks for the tip on the egg! I'll see you at the ball!" He shouted as he walked away with his egg. Fleur smiled and waved however felt guilty. She shook it off. She was asked fair and square by Davis! Harry understood. Didn't he? This didn't make her feel any better.

Harry cursed this boy, Roger Davis, and shook his head. Luna walked up next to him. "Hullo Harry." She said with her usual dreamy stare. Harry waved and then snapped his head up.

"Oh! Hey Luna! I was wondering, do you have a date for the Yule Ball." He asked. He was a little nervous for no apparent reason to him. She shook her head.

"No one has, in fact. Do you want to go with me?" She asked him. He nodded.

"Actually, yeah." She nodded.

"Then it's a date." She confirmed. She skipped away to her dorm room to owl her father of dress details.

"Wait! It's not an actual- and she's gone..." He muttered.

Cho Chang rushed up to him breathlessly. "Hello... Harry... Wanted to see if... You'd come to... Ball with me...?" She asked. He looked apologetic.

"I'm sorry but I just asked Luna if she'd go with me and she accepted. Maybe I can save a dance." Cho's emotions flashed from angry to a thoughtful expression and finally to a evil smile.

"It's okay Harry. I'd love to have that dance." She smirked and walked away. Harry shook his head.

Finally it was the night of the ball. Harry dressed in a muggle suite which fit his frame very well. The tie was an emerald green with the suite being black. His eyes really popped with the tie which he thought was his best feature. He smirked and straightened his tie.

"They'll love it dear. Knock 'em dead sweety." The mirror said. Harry nodded and opened the door to the carriage into the brisk Winter air. He charmed the roses on the school grounds to entwine themselves into a corsage. He assumed Luna would like it. He strode up to the main corridor that lead into the Great Hall. Fleur and her date walked sprung the corner and Fleur waved while Roger looked a little dazed.

"Ah! 'Arry! Did you find a date?" Fleur asked and Harry nodded. Just then Luna walked down the steps of a nearby staircase. She looked stunning. Her dress was silver with white flower designs that reflected in the light. Her hair was pulled into a lazy bun. She smiled and nodded to Fleur and Roger.

"Hullo Harry. Ready to dance?" She asked and held her arm out. They followed the other three champions to the dance floor. Just then, the music started.


	4. Chapter 4

Pleasant music started and Harry looked down at Luna. She looked around at all the decor smiling dreamily. To Harry, Luna and him were the only two on the dance floor, even with the floor flooded with students. Soon, the song ended and the duo walked to the head table where they were sitting. Harry smiled when Cedric Diggory and his date, Cho Chang sat next to them.

"Hey Harry! Pretty nice dance huh?" Cedric asked. Harry nodded and stabbed a slice of ham and put it on his plate. Luna was munching on a small plate with salad on it. Cho seemed to only ogle Harry which made both boys uncomfortable. She immediately stood up and smiled tightly. "Oh! Cedric dear, I'll be right back. Just going to refresh my drink, that's all..." Harry frowned yet Luna looked as calm and collected as ever.

Harry continued chatting with Cedric until he heard a shatter. Behind him, Cho looked down at a pool of pumpkin juice. What pumpkin juice that wasn't on the floor covered Luna's dress. Luna's face was completely red and Harry could see her eyes welling up. She looked between Harry and her dress and a single tear fell down her face. She stood and wiped off the front of her dress. "Well Harry," She asked tearfully, "it was fun..." Her voice cracked and she strode away quickly. Harry glanced at Cho who was trying not to blush. He sighed and shook his head.

Harry felt a flood of emotions. He furious with Cho on one hand however, he was desperate to find Luna. He looked through the crowd to see where Luna had run off to. Pushing through the crowds, he started calling out, "Luna!? Has anyone seen Luna?"

She was no where to be found and his face fell. "Oh Luna... I'm so sorry. I had no idea..."

" _Harry?_ "

Harry turned to see Fleur leaning against the wall outside the dance. " _Hey Fleur. How's the dance? I'm surprised you aren't in there with your date._ " Harry said with a hint of bitterness. Fleur heard the tone, to which she frowned.

" _You'd get tired of your date gaping at you for the past hour, too. Speaking of dates, where is yours?_ "

 _"I don't know. The stupid Chang girl ruined her dress. I couldn't find her anywhere afterwards."_ Harry replied. Guilt washed over him. He should have seen this coming and yet Luna's night was ruined.

Fleur nodded firmly, _"Well, I suppose since both of our dates are not around for one reason or another I must ask, would you like to dance?"_

Harry snorted, _"It seems a little unorthodox to have a girl ask a guy but, how could I say no to such a pretty face."_ Fleur smirked and slapped his arm.

The final dance song started playing. Moonlight Sonata Harry believed it was called. He swayed with the beautiful music, his eyes locked on Fleur's. Far too soon in Harry's opinion, the song ended and Harry walked Fleur to her room and kissed her hand, wishing her goodnight.

Harry exited the carriage, smiling dreamily when a dark blur caught his eye. He sprinted to the source of the blur and saw the Hogwarts professor Severus Snape. Harry contemplated following the shadowy potion's master. Soon, curiosity got the better of him. He clung to the shadows and listened intently when Snape met the Durmstrang Headmaster and started speaking quickly.

"I feel it too, Karkaroff. He will return by the end of the summer at the most." Snape uttered. Karkaroff said something Harry could not hear.

Snape sneered, "Then flee, I will create an alibi for your absence." Harry shook his head at the last part, "However the Dark Lord will return whether you like it or not."

After creeping away, Harry started processing this new information. So Karkaroff was a death eater as well as Snape? If what Snape said means what he thought, then he was screwed. Without another thought, he rushed back to the carriages.

He almost ripped the door to the carriages off it's hinges and ran to his room. He thought about going to Fleur and asking for help however he shook his head. Voldemort and his death eaters were his problem and his problem alone. With a longing look at his bed, he dove in and in only a few minutes, he fell asleep.

His dream was murky and disoriented. A large chair sat in the dark, musty room. He couldn't see who was sitting in it but he definitely hear them. "Soon Wormtail, by the end of the year at least. When those fools least expect it we will strike and Potter will be ours." It said. Harry heard a sort of hissing noise in the chair as well. It was as if a giant snake was speaking to this Wormtail.

"Y-Yes master. Your will be done." Harry turned to see a stout man with long fingernails and rat-like teeth. Harry felt dirty just looking at the man. Harry turned back to the first speaker and shook his head, who was this mysterious person and/or snake?

"Ah... We have a guest. Naturally as my mortal enemy you cannot know my plans, or at least the rest of them." The chair turned and Harry would have puked if he had not been in a dream. It was like an infant that had been savagely disfigured. It was a face not even a mother could love. Somehow it's thin arm moved in a flash. The last thing Harry saw was a green light a a hissing cackle.

Harry woke with a start and put a hand over his heart. His pulse was going a million miles a minute and he just couldn't sit around any longer. He stood, stretched quickly and sprinted to the headmistresses' room. After banging on the wooden door, Madame Maxime appeared and frowned.

" _Harry? what is wrong?_ "

" _I had a nightmare but... it wasn't exactly. There was this green light and this man named Wormtail! This wasn't some sporadic nightmare, it was like a vision._ " Harry explained desperately.

Madame Maxime nodded grimly, " _Come, let us go to Dumbledore._ "

Harry and Maxime strode up to the castle and entered Dumbledore's office. After waking the headmaster and explaining what had happened, his eyes twinkled with curiosity.

"What you saw Harry, was Lord Voldemort. As you know, Voldemort tried to kill you as a young child and failed under mysterious circumstances. Many believed him dead yet I never thought that he could have died so easily. No, I assumed him to be alive in some twisted way. I have my theories but for now, we must be on our guard even more. We are in more peril than I had previously anticipated." Dumbledore said.

Harry nodded and looked at Madame Maxime who looked like she was seeing Harry in a casket rather than alive and breathing. Dumbledore gave a small smile and leaned forward.

"I have a saying Harry and I want you to remember this. It has kept me sane since I heard it and assuming this won't be your last experience, it might help you as well. 'It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live.'" Dumbledore advised. Harry smiled a little.

"Thank you sir. Good luck to Cedric Diggory." Harry answered.

The days went by slow ever since the dream. Reality felt a little off balance and everyone seemed to mesh and blur together. He felt at some times that he was losing himself. It seemed like all he did to keep sane was talk to Fleur and surprisingly, Luna. While she was an odd girl, she definitely was more down to earth than most. The second task seemed so far away and it was only a few weeks away.

One day, it was particularly snowy. It was even too snowy for Harry's taste. Instead of staying in the carriage, Harry started exploring the castle. He felt his hand along the hallways and smiled in melancholy. He never thought he'd be wandering around the school his parents went to yet here he was. He could imagine them walking down these halls and just enjoying the castle and having fun. He wished he could be in their position at the time considering his problems.

In a sort of daydream, he didn't notice that he was in an odd part of the castle where few went. The halls became quiet and ominous as opposed to the usual corridors that were filled with smiled students and teachers. Ever twenty feet a torch burned but it was still dark.

Suddenly, a pair of loud footsteps knocked him out of stupor. He cautiously drew his wand. "Hello?" He called out. Down a dim hall to his right, two shadows darted across his peripheral vision. He spun toward them and cast a stunning curse. "Get back!" he shouted. As the curse passed harmlessly down the hallway he could vaguely make out two figures. Both were lanky and tall. They were exactly the same height.

Harry cast another curse but before it could hit either of them, they disappeared. Harry sprinted down the hall, thinking he had the offensive. When he got to the spot where the figures were, all he saw was a statue of some weird knight with a missing arm. "Where did they go!" He growled.

"Ya know, I don't think this guy's all too bright, brother of mine." said one of the figures. You could feel the mischief in his voice. Harry turned and shot a spell at him but he countered with a shield. The spell fizzled.

Before Harry could cast another curse, another similar voice echoed the other direction, "I do believe you are right, my handsome sibling." Harry turned the other direction and saw the exact same figure. Was it an illusion?

"Go away!" He yelled and shot curse after curse at them. To his dismay not one hit.

"Tsk Tsk, they youth these days have no manners these days." One clucked. "Lumos"

Out of the murky dark appeared two older looking boys with bright red hair and pale faces. They had identical mischievous grins that made Harry check his pocket for his belongings. "Who the hell are you two?" Harry asked.

"I'm Fred.." One said

"I'm George and we're..." The other continued

"The Weasley Twins!" They chorused. Harry raised an eyebrow.

"I've never heard of you two before."

George clutched his heart and swooned into the arms of his brother. "Oh! He wounds us Fred! If the great Harry Potter does not know us, then who does?" George cried dramatically. Fred smirked at Harry.

"My brother I cannot answer that question for I too, feel wounded." Fred moaned.

Harry raised an eyebrow, "Alright, that's enough. What do you two want?" He asked.

They both stood up and bowed, "We are the Weasley twins, as we have said before. We wish nothing but to introduce ourselves and make your acquaintance. You fascinate us." George answered. Harry turned red.

"What? I'm not some sort of experiment or toy!"

"Oh please."

"Of course you're not."

"We never meant any disrespect of course."

"However you do fascinate us for one reason, Padfoot, Moony, Prongs, and Wormtail."

"Last year, a certain professor told us about his school years, how he and he three friends would pull pranks and were like kings."

"We also found out that one of them happened to be James Potter." George concluded

"Harry raised an eyebrow, "Who are you guys?" The twins bowed again.

"Let us reintroduce ourselves. I'm Fred and this is George. It's a pleasure to meet you." Fred answered.

 **Hello you people! You amazing, spectacular, patient (I hope) people! Thank you so much for reading my story this far and actually probably enjoying it! So far I've almost hit 200 followers which is seriously amazing! So yea, about Harry. He grew up in France where he only knew of his actual story. He'd never heard of his father or mother's school years except they went to Hogwarts. Thats why I introduced Fred and George like I did. It will create a good connection between him and his parents. Anyways, I love you all! See you guys in the next chapter!**


	5. Chapter 5

It had been a week or so after Harry had met Fred and George. So far, he heard nothing on any more contact between them. He slowly started growing uncomfortable between the silence yet he did not seek them out. He could tell those two mischief makers were the type of people to seek you out, not the other way around and so, he waited.

He also could not ignore the issue of the next task which was in two weeks. He could feel the shadow of danger looming over him. Combined with the Fred and George problem, he felt overwhelmed. He usually met up with Luna when he felt such anxiety and her aura calmed him. He often thought of going to Fleur with his problems however she seemed like someone who would throw their problems away for him and he didn't want her to do that. Luna seemed to care by just talking to him. It was a magic beyond anything Harry would learn at Beauxbatons or even Hogwarts.

One day, Harry was reading more on merpeople in the library when he felt a body brush against his back. He turned and saw no one. When he turned back to his books, a note laid neatly on top of the closest book with. A large maroon W written in Cursive was covering the front. Inside was a few words that meant the world to him.

 _Meet us at the Seventh floor at the portrait of Barnabes the Barmy at 12:00 tonight_ _~Weasley Twins_

Harry felt his stomach drop into his feet and he stuffed the note in his pocket. He quickly ran outside of the castle and to the carriages. He laid down in his bed and set a clock for thirty minutes until 11. He then slipped into his pajamas and drifted into the dreamworld.

When his alarm went off he immediately changed and sprinted up to the castle. After ten minutes of searching, he finally found his way to the seventh floor corridor. He leaned against the large wall where the portrait hung and waited. Eventually, he closed his eyes.

A few minutes later he heard a rustle of footsteps and his eyes shot open. The two redheaded pranksters had materialized in front of him and were grinning mischievously. "Hello young Harry. As you know, we know about your father's history as a student at this fine institution..." Said Fred

"And we will be happy to tell you about his school days from what we know..." George continued.

"But first let us show you the wonderful..."

"The mysterious..."

"the amazing..."

"Marauder's Map!" The twins chorused. George pulled out a old piece of paper that appeared to folded up. Before Harry could protest that these two were delusional and there was no map, George put a finger to his lips as Fred tapped the parchment with his wand.

"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." Fred intoned. From where he touched the parchment, lines spread and intertwined like snakes. In just a few seconds an exact replica of Hogwarts was complete with little footsteps walking about with name tags under them. Harry was baffled. After staring at the map for awhile, George snapped his fingers under his nose, startling him from his stupor.

"This is amazing!" exclaimed Harry. They nodded and turned to the wall across from the portrait. Fred started pacing back in fourth in front of the wall while looking as if he was concentrating while George's eyes glittered mischievously.

"What are you-" Harry started. However, before he could finish his sentence, a door replaced the bricks. Harry gaped and looked back down at the map. "But... but... there's nothing there! The map doesn't show it!"

George smirked, "Correct young Harry. We didn't even know about this until... When was it?" He asked.

"Third year." Fred answered. "Let us not continue to talk about it when we can see it." Fred suggested.

"Good idea brother of mine." George said. They both grapped Harry under the arms and hauled him towards the door much to Harry's discomfort. The door's bursted open and revealed a massive room with a glittering gold and silver banner. On it was written, "Welcome Mr. Potter!"

"This dear Harry..."

"Is the Room of Requirement."

"Simply pace back and fourth in front of the wall three times and think about what room you need the most and..."

"The school does the rest."

Harry grinned and looked around. "Wow... Hogwarts truly is full of surprises. George and Fred low fived behind him.

* * *

Harry found this Room of Requirement very useful for the second task which was coming closer and closer. Very soon, the task was two days away and Harry was ready to explode in anger. He hadn't made any progress on either of his dilemmas. There wasn't any further word on death eater activity even though he tried his best to follow either Karkroff or Snape. He also tried his best to find the perfect way to find whatever the teachers were gonna take in the most efficient way possible however the answer eluded him.

He slammed the book he was reading and threw it against the wall. The pages flew everywhere however in seconds they disappeared due to the room keeping itself clean. "Why can I not find a single book to help me!" He glared at the nearest bookcase, "Just give me an answer!" He shouted. Suddenly, a dark green book flew from the shelf and onto the desk with a loud "Thump!" Harry eyed the book curiously. He didn't remember this book being on the shelves when he searched.

The book looked as if it was covered in leaves. On the spine of the book it said the title, "Magical Plants for the not-so-everyday task." Harry raised an eyebrow and searched for something that would help him. Right as he was about to give up and leave the Room of Requirement, he found it. Apparently, it was a plant used in potion making however if it was consumed it would give the owner fish gills. Harry looked up the measurements and estimated how much he would need. After double checking his math, he sprinted out of the room and to the carriages. After talking to Madame Maxime, an owl was sent to the Beauxbaton's potions master with a request to use the amount of gillyweed he needed.

The next day Harry waited in anticipation for the return of the owl with his magical plant however no owl came. That night he felt more nervous than ever. It was an hour before the task started and the owl still had not returned. Harry sweated nervously and paced back and fourth. He could see the stands that were magically built the night before standing proud in the gloomy Saturday afternoon. Ludo Bagman came up to the carriage and knocked. Both Harry and Fleur answered.

"Harry m'boy! And the lovely Fleur Delacour! I assume you're ready for the task?" He asked. Fleur nodded while Harry tried to not look nervous. Suddenly, a loud screech echoed through the grounds and Harry looked up to see a tawny owl soaring above. It landed on Harry's shoulder and looked at him expectantly. Tied around his leg was a satchel with the gillyweed inside it. Harry grinned and he grabbed the satchel.

"Now I'm ready Mr. Bagman." Harry said confidently. The man looked at the boy dumbstruck. After a few minutes he realized he was staring and shook his head. His boyish grin was plastered on his face yet again. He nodded and motioned for the two champions to follow him. As he got closer to the lake he saw a few thousand students sitting in the magically enhanced stands. All of them chatting and laughing with excitement.

Harry looked at Fleur who eyed the water cautiously and Harry remembered she was half Veela. No wonder she was nervous as Veela tended to hate water and prefered fire magic. Harry grabbed her hand and nodded reassuringly. Fleur looked surprised then smiled and nodded back. " _We'll get through this. Don't worry._ " Harry murmured to her. In that moment, it was just the two of them, looking at one another as allies, competitors and friends. They both knew that no matter the outcome, no matter what happened, they would always have each other.

Dumbledore's booming voice echoed across the lake. "Good afternoon students both of Hogwarts and from France and Bulgaria! Today we see our respected champions compete in the second task! Each competitor shall delve into the murky depths of the lake to retrieve someone who is very dear to them!" The student's and teacher's cheers were deafening. Harry looked to Madame Maxime who smiled and nodded. Harry turned back to the water determinedly. When the bell rang to indicate the start of the challenge, Harry untied the satchel of gillyweed.

If Harry could give any advice to future Triwizard Tournament Champions, it would be don't ever eat gillyweed. It tasted revolting and and when he managed to swallow it, it felt as if he was choking on a huge hunk of spinach. Suddenly, the plant slid down his throat with ease and Harry placed a hand on his neck and felt gills. He did it! He could now breathe underwater! He looked up at the stands to see students looking at him in curiosity and wonder. In an instant, he breathe became shorter and he couldn't feel any oxygen getting to his lungs. Not only could he breathe underwater but he needed to.

He turned quickly and dove into the water. He sighed in relief as he felt his breathe come back to him. He quickly regained his bearings and swam to the faint sound of singing. As he swam towards the singing, it grew louder. Soon, the noise became unbearable. He looked up to see a huge city. Each building seemed to be formed from glowing underwater crystals. In the middle of the city four people were suspended in the air. Thick ropes hung at their feet, preventing them from rising to the surface. As he got closer he could make out the features of some girl who appeared to be in his year with brown hair, Cho Chang, Luna and Gabriel. Harry first cut the rope to Luna with a simple slicing charm. He turned to Gabriel and was about to cast when he felt a pointed metal object press into his back.

"You may only take one!" Yelled the merman. Harry scowled and casted a levicorpus. Shooting up about ten feet, Harry was able to turn and face the merman. After a few rounds of Harry throwing curses and the merman batting them away with his trident, he managed to cast two quick spells. The merman hit the first away but was stunned by the second curse. Harry flinched as he realized he was wasting precious time. He grabbed Luna and casted a swift cutting curse at the ropes that tied down Gabriel. He looked behind him and grimaced when he saw Victor and Cedric coming closer. With one final spell, Harry shot up to the surface. As the time of his gillyweed transformation wasn't quite over yet, Harry decided to float on the surface until the effects wore off.

Soon, the challenge was over with Victor just beating Cedric to the top with his hostage. Harry looked around and then spotted what he was looking for. Fleur was being lifted up from the water, shivering and wet with a murderous rage in her eyes. "You!" She shouted at Harry. Harry raised an eyebrow, he wondered what he did wrong. " _How dare you steal my hostage away from me! Did you think I couldn't rescue my own sister! Next time let me handle it, little boy!_ " She shouted. After Fleur stormed away Harry looked up at Madame Maxime.

"Did I... do something Madame?" Harry asked. He still wasn't exactly sure what he did, considering even if Harry hadn't saved Gabriel, Fleur still wasn't able to reach the merpeople's castle. She literally couldn't have saved her. Madame Maxime sighed.

"I'm afraid you don't understand Fleur's feeling of anger at this. The tournament was supposed to be her way of showing she was more than a pretty face and when you steal her objective from her, she sees it as you stealing her spotlight." Madame Maxime said sadly. Harry frowned and looked at the direction Fleur stormed off to.

"Oh... I didn't mean to do that! I mean... I wasn't thinking! I just saw Gabby there and I just thought I needed to help her!" Harry explained. He looked between Madame Maxime and the direction Fleur went. "I'm sorry Madame Maxime! I gotta go apologize!"


	6. Chapter 6

Harry hated the feeling in his stomach right now. It felt like being punched but the person who punched him was himself. He felt extremely guilty. One part of his mind hated that he felt guilty. "So what?! You wouldn't have been able to help your sister even if I didn't grab her! You failed! I don't need to apologize because there is nothing to apologize for!"

The other part of his mind thought on the opposite side of the spectrum. "I can't believe I was so thoughtless! Even if she couldn't save her sister it wasn't like they were actually going to keep her down there forever! I've got to find her and apologize!" He thought in this mindset more however, it seemed as if he was going back and fourth almost every minute.

Harry grimaced and glanced at Fleur's door. He could hear her muttering angrily in French which made him feel even worse. Eventually, his "I'm not guilty!" mindset won over and he marched out of the carriage angrily. He briefly thought over the events of this year so far and thought he deserved a little pity. He came to the school just wanting to watch and experience new faces and a new surrounding only to have a plot to kill him suck him into a mad tournament that with every passing task, comes close to killing him! Then he managed to make a few friends only to have that stupid Chang girl almost blow that for him! Now he saved Fleur's sister and all she does is storm off! Not to mention, Voldemort, his arch nemesis, was more than likely not dead!

He stopped and looked around. How had he gotten to the Great Hall? He shook his head and muttered angrily while grabbing a plate and watching the food appear. He felt a creeping sense of loneliness as his longtime friend wasn't there to sit with him. He sighed and focused on his food, determined not to feel any guilt or sadness.

"Hullo Harry, that was a lovely performance at the lake today." Luna said and took her spot next to him. A rolled up edition of the Quibler stuck out of her back pocket as she was wearing muggle clothes.

Harry scowled and looked at her, "Um... Luna? Aren't you not allowed to wear muggle clothes in the castle." Harry asked. If he was honest with himself she didn't look bad at all but his mood prevented him from thinking any more of it. Luna smiled knowingly.

"I suppose so but no one has said anything... They never do notice me that much." Luna said thoughtfully. Harry chuckled a bit.

"That's too bad. Anyways, did you want something." Harry asked, not really annoyed at Luna but just angry in general. Luna shook her head.

"Not in particular but I did notice you have a rather large infestation of wrackspurts. They're buzzing around your right ear there. Are you angry?" Luna asked, inspecting his ear. Harry glanced at her in surprise.

"I am actually." Harry felt himself speaking the truth instead of brushing it off. It seemed he just couldn't to the odd Lovegood child. Luna patted his shoulder.

"Oh that's terrible. I try to never feel anger towards anyone. A really smart wizard once said, 'Feeling anger towards someone is like drinking poison and expecting them to die.'" Luna said, "I believe his name was... Buddy? Hm..." Harry laughed lightly.

"Do you mean Buddha?" Harry asked. Luna shook her head, still thinking.

"No that can't be right."

* * *

While he tried to stubbornly ignore it, Luna's words had some merit and were starting to weigh down on him. He paced back and fourth in his room contemplating on her words. Luna truly was a wise, old, young lady. It seemed that she put up that odd mask just surprise you when you least expect it. It had been a few days since the task and Fleur was definitely avoiding him. While Durmstrang stayed out of the problems and affairs of the other two schools, Hogwarts' infamous rumor mill had begun to turn it's gears. It seemed that Hogwarts was the only school that wanted to choose a side. Beauxbatons simply watched and gossiped while Hogwarts students chose sides and basically split into two factions.

Harry didn't support this and neither did Fleur. He wasn't surprised to see a lot of guys give him dirty looks as if he had crucified Fleur. On the other hand it seemed girls watched him as if he was some sort of hero. Harry seriously hated this whole business and wished it would come to an end soon. Maybe he was being childish but so was Fleur!

Harry knew it was getting out of hand when three seventh year boys approached him. They had their wands gripped firmly in their hands and their sneers did not look friendly. "Look at this poor excuse for a wizard boys! First he comes to the school and enters himself in the tournament and then he decides to embarrass Fleur Delacour! How shallow are you?" The leader sneered. A tripping jinx sent him to the floor. Before he could get up and go on the offensive, one of the boys froze him. They all laughed and each kicked him in the gut. If Harry could move, he would have coughed up blood. Even while having the crap kicked out of him, he was amazed at the power of Fleur's natural aura.

After each of them got their beatings in, the leader grinned and rolled up his sleeves and started to cast.

"Wait!" Luna called out from the corridor. All three turned and Harry glanced towards the petite girl. "You will leave Harry Potter alone!" This time she sounded fierce. The boys snickered.

"Sorry little girl but now isn't a good time. Maybe we'll give your boyfriend back to you in one piece once we're finished." One sniped. Luna took a step forward.

"I said leave Harry Potter alone!" she shouted. With a fluid move of her wand, she casted a quick expluso at one of the boy's feet. The explosion threw him back into a wall. He would not be getting up anytime soon. Within seconds, a body-bind curse was thrown at one of the boys. The last one sneered and fired off a few spells at Luna. Unfortunately for her, she wasn't skilled enough yet and took the brunt of the spells. Within seconds she had cuts all over her face and arms. Her nose was purple and swollen and she had a limp. The boy approached her and pushed her backwards. She fell to the floor with a dull "thunk". Harry growled and started feeling com back to his limbs.

It seemed the boy who casted the body-bind curse wasn't very strong thankfully so when Harry sprung at the last boy with ferocity, he managed to land a solid hit. The boy leapt back and almost casted a curse at Harry but was quickly stopped when a pale hand grabbed his wrist. "Zat is enough out of you." Harry smiled and again felt guilty.

"Heh... good to see you Fleur."

* * *

Harry grimaced as he felt Madame Pomfrey wrapped his ribs. "You know I think it hurts more when they were kicking me." He sniped. Pomfrey smirked and pulled one last time making Harry bite back a few curses. He rubbed his shoulder and looked over at Luna who seemed fine but was still unconscious. He felt guilty yet again but this time not because of Fleur. He glanced over at Luna and felt a sting in his chest. He fought to get up and winced in pain again. He looked at Fleur who had tears in her eyes. Harry smiled.

Fleur slapped him across the face in one fluid motion, " _If you scare me like that again, you will face much worse_." Fleur threatened. Harry laughed and rubbed his face. When he looked back at Fleur, he could see her eyes starting to water. All of a sudden, all he could see was a tangle of blonde hair. He felt a few pops in his back as Fleur crushed him. Harry felt the weight of emotional drain in an instant. He could feel his eyes start to water but he squeezed his eyes shut, trying to block his tear ducts. He could feel Fleur's heavy breathing as she held him tightly and he rubbed her back and rested his chin on her shoulder.

Eventually, Fleur untangled her arms from Harry's and smiled down at him. Her eyes were red and so was her face from crying and Harry squeezed her right shoulder. "Don't worry Fleur. I understand and I apologize." Fleur held his chin and briefly shook her head.

"Non, Harry, I believe we both were at fault for this. I think it's time we made up, yes?" Fleur asked. Harry smiled and nodded.

"I'd like that. I hate fighting you, It's a pain in the ass." He said and winced, "And almost everywhere else really." Fleur chuckled and punched him lightly.

"Yes, yes... I should get going now. I'll see you at dinner Harry." She said and left the Infirmary, waving. Harry closed his eyes and laid his head against the pillow.

When Harry woke up, the golden rays of sunset were shining through the Hospital Wing's windows. At the foot of his bed Luna sat swinging her legs, humming. "Hullo Harry, glad to see you awake so soon." Luna said, staring at the window opposite from her.

Harry blinked the sleep out of his eyes, "Luna? Hey. How are you holding up?" He asked. She rubbed her right leg and sighed.

"Much better though everything still aches a little bit. Those three trouble makers were in a lot of trouble last I heard. I suppose you're feeling better as well?" She turned. Harry stretched his arms and nodded.

"Oh yea, I'm feeling much better. I'm pretty sure you were asleep for it but Fleur and I made up." Harry enthused. A trace of a smile appeared on her face.

"Oh? That's good. It was rather terrible watching you tear yourself apart over it."

"Truth be told your advice really helped!" Harry smiled and crawled over to her, "I really appreciate your help Luna. No matter what anyone says, you're one of the brightest, cleverest witches of your year!" He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and squeezed lightly. Luna blushed a little and patted his head.

"You're very welcome Harry Potter." Luna said.

It was a few weeks later when Harry felt panic hit him like a train. The final task was in less than a month and he had no idea what he was up against. While this worried him, the main focus of his anxiety was on the fact that it was the LAST task. Unlike the other competitors, he was thrown into this in some twisted plot. With the events at the Yule Ball with that Snape fellow and the mad luck Harry needed to pass the tasks, he was sure whatever villain had forced him into this tournament was going to make their move. Logically, they couldn't just hope he would die in the tasks. Even though he wasn't as skilled as the other competitors, he was no slouch. He remembered the dueling contests at Beauxbatons where he would give many upper years a run for their money fondly.

He sighed and closed a book he was reading about prior Triwizard Tournaments. "It's completely useless! There are no distinguishable patterns between any final tournament! They all seem to be spastic and random! How can they expect us to- oh hello, Neville, was it?" Harry asked. They shy fourth year nodded.

"The judges asked to see you at the Quidditch field, Mr. Potter." He said politely. Harry nodded.

"I'll be right there."

When he got to the field, or at least where the field used to be, as a giant hedge now occupied the space, he noticed Fleur and Victor were standing next to Bagman and Crouch. After waiting a few minutes, Cedric Diggory arrived and smiled, "Sorry I'm late... wait, where's the Quidditch field?!" He asked in horror. Harry snickered and Fleur stifled a laugh. Victor chuckled.

"Don't you worry, Mr Diggory, you'll have your field back as soon as the third task is over." Mr. Bagman said, bouncing up and down, "Now, let's get on with it. The Third Task is very simple, make it through the giant maze. Of course, there will be many enchantments and creatures to befuddle and challenge you however your main concern should be the cup which is at the center of the maze." He explained. "To win, you must simply reach the cup first. Now, you all have a month to prepare yourselves as this is the only challenge where anything goes!" Bagman exclaimed.

"Good luck to all four of you." Mr. Crouch said ominously. Harry glanced at his competition. All of them looked as determined as a lion stalking prey.


	7. Chapter 7

**A.N. Hello everyone this a quick answer to a review. Of course Harry was pathetic! He was frozen! I'm so sorry that I didn't make a triumphant hero who could take three wizards at once! Also, Luna did better because they underestimated her to the point where it screwed two of them. So, if you want a super powerful, godlike Harry, this is not the story for you. Also to another review, I had Harry go with them because I assumed most of the school went with in the Triwizard Tournament. If I was wrong then I'm sorry but this story is just gonna keep going. Anyways, hope you all enjoy! ~Patchwork Dr.**

Harry felt his stomach curl itself into knots then drop to his feet. He sat inside the tent nearby the Quidditch stadium which was packed with wizards and witches from all over. He turned to a goblet filled with murky green liquid on a nearby stood. Apparently, it was a calming draught made by Fleur. She had drank it as well and was almost instantly calm. He regarded it for a second before chugging it down. Within seconds a wave of serenity washed over him. He felt himself focus and he knew he was ready for the challenge. He cracked his knuckles and left the comfort of the tent to the ruthlessness of the maze.

Thousands of students were cheering loudly inside the stadium. Harry even felt the deafening the roar under shoes as the very ground shook with the screams of the crowd. Normally this would unnerve him greatly. However, the potion's effect stayed true and all he could focus on was the task. After a minute or so more of the sound of crowds cheering, Albus Dumbledore's magically enhanced booming voice echoed across the field. Harry barely payed attention to the speech he made about the valor and bravery of the champions. Afterwards, the crowd was almost completely silent except for the few odd whispers. Harry felt his muscles tense and the blood pumping in his veins.

With a brisk tweet of the whistle Harry sprinted into the maze. Again, the crowd was screaming but the deafening noise became a dull roar as the opening into the hedge closed behind him. After reaching the first pass, Harry began to think. If the trophy was at the center of the maze, and he had just entered through the South side, he should head North first. With a quick four-point spell, He saw the arrow was veering more to the left, so that's where he turned. As Harry sprinted along, he could see a huge lump ahead of him. When he got closer he could see it was some sort of lobster creature.

Without warning, a blast of fire shot out of what he assumed was it's... rectal cavity, and sped at him like a bullet. Without another thought, Harry dove out of the way and turned around immediately. The blasted creature already turned and Harry could tell it was about to fire again. As quick as he could, he levitated the creature over the wall. Before the creature could stop itself, it shot over the hedge wall. With the current threat gone, Harry kept moving, now much more aware of his surroundings.

He turned right, then left, then another left. He felt as if he was running in circles. Soon, Harry stumbled upon another challenge. It was a sphinx. It opened it's eyes and acknowledged him. Blinking it's observant yellow eyes, it opened it's mouth and spoke a riddle.

'What is harder to catch the more you run?" The sphinx asked. Harry was startled, he knew about Greek mythology but it never occurred to him that sphinxes actually existed. He sighed and shrugged. The Sphinx grinned devilishly and Harry knew better than to try to pass without answering. He gave up.

"I'm not too sure, I suppose I'll go a different way." He turned and started walking away when he heard the lioness purr like a cat who'd caught an especially juicy mouse.

"Now now little human. That's not how my game works. If you can't solve it, I eat you!" She screeched. As graceful as a puma, she lunged at him. Harry dropped to the ground, the razor sharp claws of the sphinx just missing him. With a disappointed growl, the monster turned. Harry didn't look behind him until he was up and running. He could see in the distance a fork in the path. Even though Harry was a rather athletic boy from constant Quidditch practice in France, he was no match for the sphinxes' speed. He knew in just a few seconds he would be dinner for her.

"Duck!"

Harry did as he was told and ducked. A lavender bolt of energy zipped over his head and struck the lioness. Looking up after getting over the initial shock, Harry saw Fleur. She smiled and extended her hand. He grinned in relief and took her hand. The Sphinx was out cold twenty yards behind him.

"Thanks for that, Fleur. Guess I owe you one." Harry said.

Fleur chuckled and kissed his cheek, "No problem Harry, let's get that cup, for Beuxbatons!" She shouted triumphantly. Harry laughed and followed her. He was thankful for the little light in the maze so Fleur couldn't tell he was blushing, only a little bit of course.

They continued on with very little disturbance except the dreaded blast ended skrewt yet again. However, as Fleur was with him this time around, they easily dispatched of the creature, leaving a patch of scorched ground and a puddle of ooze. Harry could feel the competition coming to a close. In the far distance over the maze, an eerie glowing light shot into the night sky. Harry looked to Fleur and she smirked.

"Good luck." Fleur said. She then kicked his legs out from under him.

Harry pouted and looked at the girl who quickly ran down the length of the maze. "No fair!" Harry whined. After she giggled and disappeared Harry groaned and turned towards the source of the glowing. "If I can't catch up by running through the maze, I might as well take the easy route." With a snap of his wand, fire leapt forth and burned away a hole in the hedge wall. Harry quickly leapt through and just in time as the hedge closed up almost immediately. Harry laughed, "Why didn't I try this before?!" With another wave of his wand he shot fire at the hedge wall again.

This time however, the hedge barely showed any signs of fire. "Oh." Harry frowned, "That's why." It seemed as if the maze was learning. He heard footsteps behind him and turned. It was Victor. Harry waved and smiled but Victor didn't respond. Harry frowned because while it was dark, it wasn't dark enough for such a dark shadow to be covering his face. A flick of the older contestant's wand sent Harry flying and into a hedge. Harry groaned, why did it have to be a rose bush?

When Harry finally managed to snap out of his dizziness, Krum was right on him, wand in hand. When Victor fired off another spell, Harry threw up a quick shield. Harry could tell that Victor wasn't himself. Not only was Victor totally silent, he marched forward like he was being controlled by someone who didn't know how human beings normally walked. Harry casted stunner which Victor blocked with a protego. Great, whoever was controlling him knew basic dueling. Looking around, Harry saw he was cornered. Holding his wand in defiance he knew that if he was going down, he wasn't going to leave Victor without a scratch.

"Avada Keda-" THUNK! Victor slumped forward in a pile. Behind him was Cedric Diggory. Breathing heavily, Harry saw a large rock next to the back of Victor's head. Cedric grinned and twirled his wand. Harry just felt the adrenaline pumping through him and a wave of gratitude towards the Diggory family.

"I'm not a bad shot... All right Harry?" Cedric asked, stepping over Victor and grabbing his shoulder. "Good thing I saw what was happening, eh?" Harry could only nod. Behind them, Victor moaned. His eyes were screwed shut before they snapped open. Harry and Cedric quickly got into a defensive position.

"Vat? Vat happened here? How did I get here?" He asked the two other champions who held their wands directly at his heart. Slowly, Harry lowered his wand.

'Victor? Do you remember what happened? You remember us right?" He asked. Victor regarded him and nodded. Harry sighed with relief, Cedric's attempt at inducing amnesia didn't work.

Suddenly Victor gasped. "It vas him! Zat moody fellow!" He shouted in anger, "Ze bastard was controlling me vith ze imperio curse!"

The two other boys looked at each other and nodded, "All right Victor, lets find Fleur and end this championship, then we deal with the punishments. Alright?" Harry asked, trying to placate the older boy. Victor nodded solemnly and all three marched forward towards the glowing light.

Finally, after a few minutes which felt like ages in Harry's opinion, they reached the cup. All three approached the cup which glowed with power. Behind them, Fleur shouted at them.

"Trying to team up on me? What are all of you boys so silly you could not find a little cup?" Fleur taunted. Harry protested.

"You just got here too!"

"Yes but I came here without help." Fleur answered nonchalantly.

"Whatever." Harry huffed. Cedric looked indignant and even though he had recently been possessed, managed a weak chuckle and a smirk.

"Enough guys." Cedric pleaded, "We've got more important issues. Victor was being controlled by Professor Moody! He almost killed Harry!" Cedric explained nervously. Victor nodded and Fleur paled. Harry nodded in agreement. All four of them wanted to see justice against Moody for what he'd done to Victor but Harry had the sneaking suspicion that Moody had also put his name into the Goblet of Fire.

"I'm guessing that when someone grabs the cup the game's over, so who should grab it?" Harry asked. Victor looked angry, Cedric looked confused and Fleur looked frightened. If Harry was honest with himself, he was all three at the same time. After the conversation he overheard between Karkaroff and Snape, Harry didn't really want to deal with the Triwizard tournament in general. He could feel these emotions wash over him in waves. Fleur seemed to notice as she regarded him carefully. He remembered his promise to himself and her to keep her out of his business regarding Voldemort. Cedric brightened a little.

"How about we all grab it at once? I mean, we've all worked our butts off to get here and honestly, I don't care a whole lot about winning anymore." Harry smiled and nodded.

"I agree." Victor said. The three boys turned to Fleur who sighed.

"Madame Maxime wouldn't be too happy but I suppose.." Fleur nodded in agreement, "Let us do it then." She said confidently. Harry grinned and held her hand as they all marched forward. Harry felt preparedness as he approached the Goblet of Fire and he had a strange feeling that this adventure wasn't quite over yet. Harry would soon learn that his gut was generally right with these sort of matters.

With one brief nod to everyone Harry, and the three other grabbed the cup and were teleported away.


	8. Chapter 8

In a very brief description, Harry would say traveling by portkey was akin to being hung by the small of his back and twirled through the air like a lasso. He felt himself flip during the teleportation of the portkey and immediatly regretted it when only a few seconds later, he landed face first into the dirt. Fleur quickly pulled him up.

" 'Arry? Are you alright?" She asked with concern in her eyes. Harry nodded and gave her thumbs up. Cedric looked around and scowled.

"We're definitely not back at Hogwarts. Is this a cemetery?" Cedric asked, running his hand over a round gravestone. Victor already had his wand out, alert to anything. This saved Cedric's life moments later when a bolt of green energy came from the darkness.

Victor, ready for anything, quickly summoned a nearby gravestone. When the deadly curse hit the gravestone, it exploded. Harry covered his eyes and turned away from the four champions turned to a rat-like man with a bundle of dark cloth that held a very gruesome, ugly baby. The man growled and fired of more curses. All four champions dove behind gravestones, deadly curses flying overhead. Harry felt the gravestone he leaned against shake. Harry scowled.

He quickly casted a charm on the gravestone. It grew to tremendous proportions. "Ced! Victor! Fleur! Get over here!" He shouted. Cedric, being nearby, was able to easily get to the massive gravestone. Victor and Fleur did not have as good of luck. Thankfully, because there was only one attacker, he focussed his spells on Fleur and Victor. Harry could now divert all of his attention to the other champions who were being Cedric's help, Harry managed to get Victor across the graveyard and behind the giant tombstone as well. The attacker now focussed solely on the only target he could hit, rained down like meteors on Fleur's makeshift shield of tombstones.

Harry, desperate to save Fleur, jumped out into the open. "You want a fight? Well come on then!" Harry shouted. Harry was immediately assulted with a range of spells but he fought back with vigor. Harry could feel his energy start to wane. He just wasn't used to defending himself for this long under such heavy and dark spells. Seeing that he was slowly winning the fight, the rat-like man smiled devilishly and attacked with even greater speed and power. Cedric, seeing Harry begin to weaken, jumped in and began attacking.

While the man could outdo Harry because of experience, Cedric was far more talented than the him. They traded curses for a few minutes before Cedric finished the battle swiftly. The man threw darker and darker curses as his frustration grew. Cedric knew he had to finish this before it got out of hand. Waving his wand fiercely, Cedric blasted a cone of ice straight into the man's stomach. He fell, choking on his own blood.

Five minutes later, several pops were heard. "Harry?!" A voice shouted. It was Professor Dumbledore. Harry stood up and waved at them, getting their attention. Dumbledore gave a quick glance to the body of Peter Pettigrew and then strode to the champions. All of them looked on edge, like soldiers. This saddened Albus greatly.

"Professor, it was Voldemort, I-" Suddenly he was cut off by a growling voice. It came from where Pettigrew had come from. Dumbledore, accompanied by the other judges and Minister Fudge walked over to the bundle.

"Albus..." It hissed.

"Tom." Albus acknowledged gravely.

"Your puppet and his little friends might have beaten me this time but do not doubt, I will return! Lord Voldemort shall one day be truly immortal!" It raved. Suddenly, Voldemort's jaw fell slack and the small body slowly disintegrated before their eyes. Cornelius Fudge had seen his share of odd things but nothing prepared him for this terrifying truth.

"Cornelius." Dumbledore turned. There was no twinkle in his eyes, "We have much to discuss, but first I believe we should return these champions to the school. There is also the matter of why the champions fought Peter Pettigrew, who was supposedly dead." The minister paled. This situation would definitely not be able to be swept under the rug.

After a long talk between himself, Harry and Dumbledore, Fudge all but ran out of the headmaster's office promising the British Ministry of Magic would be prepared for anything the dark lord could throw at them. "Now Harry, I think you might be wondering about Peter Pettigrew. You see-"

"I already know Professor." Harry stated. Albus blinked. Shaking off his surprise, Dumbledore leaned forward in his desk.

"Tell me Harry, what do you know about Sirius Black?"

"He's my Godfather and managed to get himself locked up in Azkaban because of both his and the government's foolishness. Right now he's in France, probably enjoying himself much more than he did in Azkaban." Harry peered at Dumbledore with a smirk and an eyebrow raised in question. Dumbledore nodded and sighed.

"I suppose it was my fault. I mean, I could have done more and yet I let my grief get ahead of me." Albus looked guilty, "I'm very sorry for this mistrial of justice, Harry."

Harry shrugged, "It's alright. I'm not some raving lunatic who would go on some jumped up quest to 'seek revenge' on the government for going into Martial Law when they were at war with a terrorist. However, I do still feel a little resentment towards the mistrial. I hope you can understand." Harry said. Dumbledore smiled gratefully.

"Thank you m'boy. And I understand completely. That is a very large yoke of guilt that has now been lifted of my shoulders." Dumbledore said relieved. Harry nodded and Dumbledore clapped his hands. "Now, we will prepare ourselves. This tournament's ultimate goal is unity and I think now, more than ever, we will need that." Dumbledore said, a twinkle in his eye.

Just a week later, the judges of the tournament, or who was left as Karkaroff had disappeared, as had Crouch, decided due to the terrible circumstances of the cup being a portkey and the fact all of them had touched it at once, all four had won. The Great Hall was bright green with gold decorations all around. Dumbledore stood at the podium at the head table.

"Ah yes! Another year has passed and I am glad to see everyone has made it safe to the end of it!" Dumbledore announced. All of the schools clapped while glancing at each of their respected champions nervously. The fabled Hogwarts rumor mill had once again shown it's speed in spreading gossip and the like. Many stared at him more so than the others. He supposed that was due to Voldemort, being his mortal enemy and all, returning and almost killing him, Cedric, Victor, and Fleur.

Harry felt like a cornered animal. Now that everything that had happened in that graveyard had registered with him, he felt a heavy burden weigh on him, as if everyone looked at him like he was about to stand up and bravely declare he would destroy Voldemort. He felt no inclination to do such a thing. Instead he longed to return to his godfather in France. He missed him. Harry glanced up at Dumbledore. There was a strange twinkle in his eye as if he found something humorous. Harry certainly did not see any humor in the situation.

Soon, the celebrations were over, and people started saying goodbye. He had bid farewell to a few of the Hogwarts students. Neville Longbottom had spoken to him briefly, mainly over Herbology which was his favorite subject. Finally, Harry met up with Luna Lovegood. She still had that dreamy smile and eyes that looked a million miles away.

"Well, I suppose this is goodbye, Harry." She bade in her usual quiet and soothing voice. Harry smiled and nodded.

"Indeed, Ms. Lovegood. I do hope to keep in contact, however." Harry answered.

Luna wrapped her arms around him and squeezed. Harry gently squeezed her back. When she and Harry separated, Luna leaned forward and pushed her lips against his. "I hope so. It was a pleasure Harry." She chimed before skipping off. Harry ran his thumb over his lips. That was certainly not how he thought his first kiss would go, yet it wasn't bad. Not bad at all.

Harry walked over to the carriage where Fleur was. He smiled at her and vice versa. Maybe it was the relief he was going home but he suddenly felt very giddy. Harry laughed a little and slung an arm over her shoulder. He was distracted by his own state of capriciousness but Fleur leaned into Harry's shoulder a little and blushed. Fourth Year for Harry James Potter was very strange, yet not all bad.

Harry woke up to tapping on his window. He smelled the faint of scent of bacon. Padfoot was cooking. Harry smiled, still a little sleepy. He opened the window and a white owl fluttered in. Harry recognized it at Luna's owl. "What sort of silly adventure hunt have you gone on now, Ms. Lovegood?" Harry mumbled, looking at the magical photograph of some strange land. It was the beginning of July and Luna was travelling all over the world. Harry mused that no matter how much she adventured to remote, mysterious places, she couldn't be bothered to pop by France for at least a few days.

They hadn't really talked about anything too personal, such as their brief kiss before Harry left. Luna did however, send him the Daily Prophet newspapers when she finished with them. After Harry left, the British Ministry of Magic had become more alert than ever. Albus Dumbledore was leading the light as they prepared for the inevitable battle against Voldemort.

As for Dumbledore, he had loosely kept in contact with the older wizard. He would occasionally receive mail from him. He hadn't said it outright, yet it appeared Albus wished for him to start schooling in Scotland, at Hogwarts, where Albus could train him. Of course, Harry was curious about the possible offer yet he also didn't want to leave France. He enjoyed looking out at Paris from his dorm window instead of the wilds of Scotland. On the other hand, he knew Voldemort would simply destroy Britain before advancing on France. One way or another, Harry was going to face Voldemort again.

Harry sighed. This was way too much to think about for the morning. Harry went downstairs, where the scent of cooking bacon was wafting through the air even stronger. The kitchen was a mess with an older gentleman was running around in black and white prison clothes. (Padfoot thought it'd be funny to patch up the prison clothes and use them as pajamas. Harry thought Sirius was mental) Hearing the door open, the panicked man spun on his heel to face Harry.

"Goodmorning Harry! Any chance you could help me make breakfast?" Harry snickered and one of the pans caught fire, "Please?"


	9. Chapter 9

Throughout the Summer, Harry tried his best to avoid anything to do with the recently rediscovered Dark Lord. Voldemort was causing enough troubles for him without Harry going to seek out anything to do with his nemesis. Once or twice a week, Harry would suffer from nightmares that would leave him thrashing and screaming in bed. Sirius started getting more and more worried. Harry felt as if one day he was going to snap. The headaches, cold sweat, and nightmares were making him less than friendly to the others around him and thus, he stayed secluded in his room, angry at his own misfortune. "Damn you, Voldemort!" He grumbled, throwing one of his textbooks at the wall.

One day, during a rather hot day which Harry was once again secluded in his bedroom, an owl swooped in. It looked very tired and hot so Harry set out a bowl for it to drink out of and fed it a few treats. Tied to it's leg was a letter in emerald writing. The envelope sealed with a stamp that had an eagle, a badger, a lion, and a serpent imprinted upon the wax. The letter had come from Hogwarts. Harry wondered throughout the Summer when Dumbledore would finally be audacious enough to ask him to transfer schools. Many of the letters Harry received from Dumbledore talked of Wizarding Britain and the British Ministry yet it was riddled with many undertones of Hogwarts and Harry's possible schooling there. The hinting and slyness of the old headmaster started to annoy Harry. His irritation was even greater with the lack of sleep and the nightmares that poisoned his subconscious when he did sleep.

Harry sighed and opened the seal. It was the standard Hogwarts letter that Sirius had told him about from his days at school. Harry read over the letter, gradually getting more and more annoyed with the invitation. He quite liked France and he didn't feel a lot of real reason to go. If Voldemort wanted him, he could come find Harry in France. He had an actual home here whereas in Britain, the only memories he had were him being beaten and starved by the Dursleys. Not to mention the dangerous Tri-Wizard Tournament was the only true memory of the school itself, the rest of the memories were just stories from Sirius back when he went to school there. No sir, He did not want to return to Britain.

However, Harry also felt a great tugging at his conscience. There were many people in Britain that Voldemort could hurt before he made his way to France. He knew in his heart that if Voldemort returned, it would be like the first war. While Harry had no first hand experience of Voldemort's first reign of terror, Sirius' hollowed eyes and gutteral voice when he spoke about it were enough for Harry to never want anything like that to befall him. Harry reminded himself there were families who would suffer because of him if he didn't return to Britain. People like his friend, Luna could die simply because Harry didn't want to leave his home. Sometimes he hated that he had sympathy for others. It seems either way, someone was going to suffer. He had to decide whether it was going to be him, or others.

Harry sighed and folded up his letter. He needed some time to think and some help. He set his letter down on his bed and opened the door. Slowly walking downstairs, he admired the french architecture in his house. He'd lived in for about five years yet he never did get a good look at the large windows that let light flood in. Harry sighed and shook his head. He was procrastinating and no matter how much he wanted to get rid of this problem easily, it would not be solved easily.

"Sirius?" Harry called, opening the door to his godfather's room.

"What's up, pup?" Sirius asked, leaning against the head of his bed. Sirius set the book he was reading down and faced Harry.

"I received a letter today and honestly, I have no idea what to do." Harry pleaded. "I mean, I want to stay here and learn at Beauxbatons but I can't help but feel responsible! Dumbledore invited me to Hogwarts, probably to train me but it would mean leaving France for most of the year! I already did that and believe me, I don't want to do that for the next three years!" Harry looked very panicked. Sirius smiled fondly and stood up.

"Well Harry, I honestly think you should go with what your gut tells you. Don't let all the worries of the war get to you, okay? I like the quote from Martin Luther" Sirius cleared his throat and straightened up, "for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. Here I stand, I can do no other." Sirius smirked, "I hope that helps, kiddo. I think if you're wanting other opinions, you should probably talk to Fleur and Luna. Those two seem to know you best." Harry nodded.

"My thoughts exactly. Thanks, Sirius." Harry left, leaving Sirius to think of what he and Harry spoke raced back to his room where he set up his quill and ink. He dipped the quill into the parchment and began to write.

 _Dear Luna,_

 _I need your help. I received a letter this morning from Albus Dumbledore. He invited me to attend Hogwarts for the rest of my schooling. He hasn't said it outright however I believe he wishes to train me on the side. If I go to Hogwarts, I will not be trained in a war I don't want to be in and I might never see France again. I also could decline but it might put you and many others in danger. Please respond soon._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Harry_

Harry sealing his letter, pressing the warm wax against his letter and tied it to his owl and away she flew. Harry closed the window and threw on some muggle clothes. He needed to talk to Fleur. He raced downstairs after stuffing the Hogwarts letter in his pocket. Harry breifly bade Sirius Farewell and ran out the door of the house. Sirius looked out the window, seeing his charge race to Fleur's house, he laughed a little. Harry banged on the door, anxious to talk to Fleur. He was panting and flushed from running. Their house elf, Tilly, opened the door to the manor. Immediately recognizing Harry, the house elf ushered him inside. "Miss Fleur will be very excited to see yous' Mr. Harry Potter, sir!" Tilly enthused. Harry smiled.

"Well, I don't know about excited but I am certainly anxious." Harry answered, trailing behind the animated elf. When the duo arrived at Fleur's bedroom door, Tilly snapped her fingers, unlocking the door, and told Harry to wait. The door slid shut behind him and he waited. The silence of the large mansion seemed very depressing for a house that contained very happy people.

Fleur opened the door and smiled, " _Bonjour Harry , quoi de neuf_?" She asked.

" _Je besoin... d'un... peu d'aide... avec ce..._ " Harry said, trying to reply in French and held the Hogwarts letter for Fleur to see. Fleur saw the letter and raised an eyebrow.

"Are zey serious?" She asked, "You already go to Beauxbatons." Fleur said, bewildered that Hogwarts would try to recruit a student from another school.

Harry nodded, "I just don't know what to do-"

"Say no!" Fleur exclaimed

"It's not that simple, Fleur!" Harry said exasperatedly, "I want to stay at Beauxbatons but there's a war coming. Voldemort's going to come back and I think I should be ready. Professor Dumbledore could probably help me a lot better than the teachers at Beauxbatons, considering his power and his brilliance." Harry added. He didn't like playing Devil's advocate with Fleur but he needed a less emotional and more objective opinion. Then again, it was Fleur he was talking to and if she was anything, it was very emotional with the things she cared about, Harry included.

"I see..." Fleur said. Her eyes were misty, "Vell, I suppose it really iz up to you, but if you vant my opinion, I say you should not go." She said quietly, "While I do not wish you to go to 'ogwarts and I certainly vill not like it, I vill respect your choice." Harry felt a heavy weight on his chest. That was all he needed to hear. He wrapped his arms around Fleur and she kissed his forhead.

"Thank you, Fleur. I-I'll talk to you later, okay?" Harry stated shakily, finally pulling away from the embrace. Fleur nodded, dismayed.

"If you are not travelling to Scotland any time soon." Fleur muttered and slammed her bedroom door. Harry let out a deep breath and slowly descended the stairs of the house. Maybe the decorations of the mansion really were fitting as he was not in a joyful mood. The walk back to his home was silent and depressing. He supposed this is how some criminals feel when walking to death row. However for him, the only death that would happen would be the death of his friendship with Fleur. He knew in his heart that Fleur would hate him going to Hogwarts. This did not make his decision any easier.

When Harry got home, Sirius smiled and patted his head, "Women are never easy, Harry." He said sagely. Harry smiled weakly. While he wasn't in the best of moods, he felt himself feeling better the more he was around Sirius.

The next morning, Harry awoke to his owl tapping on the window. Light streamed from the windows and Harry stared for a moment before opening the window and removing the letter. He was rather surprised to already receive correspondence from Luna as he only sent the letter yesterday morning. Harry was very curious to read the letter from the usually care-free girl. If she responded this quickly, she obviously cared a lot.

 _Dear Harry,_

 _While the invitation to Hogwarts did not surprise me all that much, I was rather surprised you needed my help to decide. You are usually so confident and sure of yourself, or have I been getting the wrong impression? You should relax a little because your head is obviously infested with wrackspurts. The only surefire way I know of to get rid of them is thinking positive but I suppose with the decision that's causing the wrackspurts could be negative. It is indeed a paradox. Come around for tea sometime and we can talk about getting rid of those pests, okay?_

 _With love,_

 _Luna_

Harry couldn't suppress his amusement at the Lovegood girl's letter. It appeared that she understood his problem. He did grow a little frustrated that the key to his problems was not revealed in her letter, as she was very clever, but he knew answers like this didn't just fall from the sky. He sighed.

"I suppose tea with Luna couldn't be too bad. I haven't seen her since the end of Spring, after all." Harry said to himself. He picked up a nearby quill and dabbed it into an inkwell. Harry intended to get a straight answer out of Luna. Harry wrote a quick reply scheduling to meet her the coming Saturday, which was in three days, at noon for tea. After watching the owl disappear into the distance, Harry began mentally preparing himself for tea with a Lovegood.

 **A.N.**

 **Hello my beloved readers! Since I've seen many reviews about this, I have chosen to address it as to avoid many more reviews on the subject. I am trying to find a beta as of right now however I am am having some trouble with it. So, I am asking all of you, would someone refer me to a beta that they view as very good? I want my story to be the best it can be for you all but without a beta, that will be difficult. Also, on a minor note as I've seen a few reviews on this as well, I will be showing some of the first three years through flashback. The reason I started on the fourth/triwizard tournament was because that is when significance due to Harry being in Beauxbatons begins! Thank you! ~Patchwork Dr.**


	10. Chapter 10

For the next several days Harry was anxious. Luna was at best unpredictable and Harry didn't really feel any sort of tone conveyed through his correspondence with the girl. He just wasn't sure whether she'd be angry, happy, or somewhere in between. He'd thought of all the possible conversations they could have during tea and no matter how much Sirius told him he was overreacting, Harry still worried. It felt like someone was continually punching him in the gut. He was going to explode from eagerness to talk to Luna. Finally, it was Saturday and Harry prepared his mind for whatever Luna could say to him.

Harry never liked apparition and side-along apparition was even worse. Harry was glad he had a light breakfast because if he ate any more, he would display to Sirius what food looked like after it had partially gone through the digestive system. Although he did not vomit, Harry's face blanched and he felt sickly. However, his symptoms were not just due to side-along apparition. Even after all the mental preparations, Harry did not feel ready to have tea with Luna Lovegood. Suddenly, he was shoved forward by his godfather. Harry definitely was not in the mood to be teased by his godfather, giving him a quick scowl.

"Go get her, tiger!" Sirius called to Harry, who was slowly approaching the strange house, "And don't worry! I'm sure she won't hate you too much!" He called one final taunt before disapparating. Harry made a face and a rude gesture to the spot where Sirius had just been. Shaking off his nerves, he rapped his hands against the door. He heard a muffled scuffling behind the door and in a flash, Luna stood before him.

"Hullo Harry." Luna greeted. Harry smiled weakly, still feeling a little nauseous.

"Hey Luna. I like your house." Harry said politely, trying to ease the awkwardness he felt with small talk.

"I do too, I would be rather put out if I didn't like my own house. I'd certainly not enjoy leaving Hogwarts." Luna observed. Harry snorted. Harry felt the butterflies in his stomach disappear and he smiled.

"I suppose it would, wouldn't it?" Harry agreed. Luna nodded. An awkward silence fell between the two and Luna smiled dreamily and Harry forced himself not to bolt. Apparently, the awkward feeling was only felt by Harry because Luna seemed totally oblivious of any such feelings. When Harry felt he should speak Luna giggled.

"Anyways, let's get inside, It's very rude to leave guests outside." Luna ushered Harry inside and sat down at a quaint table inside an indoor patio. The light filtered through the glass and shone with light tints of blue, red, green, and yellow. Luna poured both of them teach and plopped two sugars into hers. Harry personally preferred no sugar and so took a sip of the dark liquid. It warmed his cheeks and he couldn't help but smile.

"So Harry, what did you want to talk about?" Luna asked, "I mean, I thought you would have immediately declined the letter, completely trusting in yourself."

Harry blushed a little, "Well thank you Luna, but this is a little difficult for me. I want to stay in France but Voldemort is lurking in Britain and I don't think he is going to stop whether or not I face him in Britain." Harry didn't notice but Luna was thinking hard on this. Usually she didn't have to deal with such weighty subjects and issues. She didn't think Harry would appreciate any references to mystic animals that may or may not exist so she took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She had Harry's full attention.

"Honestly, I don't think you should feel forced to go to Hogwarts simply because Professor Dumbledore wants you to and the possible chance that Voldemort will return and wreak havoc. And even if he does return, I'm sure Britain wouldn't crumble to dust in just a day. We're tougher than you think." Luna expressed. Harry was a little stunned at the odd girl's level headedness. Harry knew she was right.

"Well... Thanks! I mean, erm, thank you Luna." Harry said. Luna nodded. "I still am not totally sure though. Maybe I just doubt myself? It's very weird to feel both like the world is in your hands and and completely powerless at the same time." Harry admitted.

"Sometimes that's good. You can't always get what you want, but what you want isn't always what you need, I learned that from my mother before she died." Luna said, feeling a wave of sadness hit her. Harry pitied her and Luna smiled. "I can tell you want an easy solution but I don't think that's what you need. Sometimes adversity is a good thing." Harry nodded.

"You're right, Luna. However now I need to make a decision." Harry said seriously. After a few minutes of silence, Harry shook his head, "I think it would be best for me to stay at Beauxbatons. Thanks Luna, you're pretty smart." Luna blushed.

"Yes well, I couldn't very well let those nargles keep you like this!" Luna said, changing subjects very quickly. Harry chuckled and sipped his tea.

"So, since we have the rest of the afternoon to talk, how is your creature hunt with your father?" Harry asked. Luna's eyes widened and she started going on and on about different fantastical creatures roaming on the planet. Harry thought that while Luna was very odd, she was certainly one of the best friends he's ever had.

Soon, the afternoon had come to an end and Luna walked Harry to the door. Leaving the Lovegood household, Harry felt very happy. He now knew he would stay at Beauxbatons and he was very excited to tell Fleur. Sirius popped out of thin air and smiled, waving at Luna. Grabbing onto Harry's shoulder, the two wizards apparated out of England and back to France.

"So kiddo, have you made up your mind?" Sirius asked Harry as soon as they arrived at home. Harry nodded.

"I'm gonna stay at Beauxbatons. While Voldemort may start to get stronger, I don't think he'll be able to rise any time soon what with us arresting Pettigrew and his baby-ish body dying." Harry confirmed. Sirius grinned.

"Well I gotta say it is a relief to know you'll be so close to home. I thought for awhile there I'd have to sneak into Hogwarts as a dog!" Sirius joked. Harry laughed and swatted him.

"You would do no such thing!" Harry said with a fake scowl. Sirius raised his hands in surrender.

"Whatever you say, Harry."

Fleur had talked to Harry more now that he confirmed he was staying. He hadn't really realized how protective of her friends Fleur was until he saw her attitude flip. It was nearly the end of Summer and Harry went to some wizarding shops to pick up supplies for the coming school year. Fleur was accompanying him as well to buy some things that she needed for her new job. Apparently she was interested in the field of auror. She had begun starting training and she loved the rush. It had reminded her of the Triwizard tournament, or at least the fun parts, anyway. Harry wasn't sure himself but he did enjoy flying quite a bit, maybe a pro quidditch seeker?

Harry laughed and talked with Fleur as they did their shopping. They entered the bookstore, _Tanguay's Tomes_. Inside, books lined all the walls. The only break between bookshelves were windows and a door near the back of the store. It smelled strongly of old books and Harry loved it. He quickly moved through the familiar store and bought the required books. Although he bought the books he needed, he stayed a little bit longer to Fleur's annoyance but he could not help himself. Books fascinated him and he felt he could relate to Belle from _Beauty and the Beast_. Ever since his first year at Beauxbatons, he loved this store greatly and he did miss it while he was at Hogwarts.

Suddenly, Harry felt a chill run down his spine. He turned to see a black robed man enter the book store and immediately hid behind a bookshelf. Fleur hid next to him, her eyes filled with urgency. The man's wand was in his hand, pointing at the cashier. "Where," the man said in a cool and calm voice, "is Harry Potter. I saw him walk into this store and my master wishes to see him, personally. Point me in the right direction and I might not kill you." The man threatened. His silvery white mask glinted off the flickering light, making him look even more threatening.

Harry caught the clerk's eye with a pleading expression. Seeing the shift in his eyes, the man turned and fired a red curse at his face. "Reducto!" The man shouted fiercely. Harry ducked just in the nick of time. Books exploded into shred and some of them caught fire. Harry gripped his wand tightly and looked to Fleur. Both stood up at the same time and fired.

"Aqua eructo!" Fleur shouted. A torrent of water blasted from her wand.

"Bombarda!" Harry shouted. Blinded by the water, the man was blasted by the explosive curse. He was thrown through the window, spluttering and in pain as the curse had shattered a few ribs. He looked on the pair with hate and pressed his wand to his forearm where a tattoo of a skull with a snake exiting it's mouth was. Suddenly, there were a few more pops and more deatheaters appeared. Harry knew his odds and so fired a confringo into the group. Many scattered which gave Harry and Fleur time to escape through the broken window.

The pair weaved in and out of fearful bystandards, shooting curses behind them with only glances back to make sure they didn't hit any innocents. Curses wizzed by their head and shoulders and the army of death eaters blasted their way through the crowds. "Fleur! Why haven't you apparated us out of here?!" Harry shouted, passing a fleeing couple. Fleur glared at him and sent a fireball straight into the crowd of deatheaters.

"Do you zink I am stupid? Zere are appartion wards up! We just have to outrun ze magical field!" Fleur yelled back. Harry nodded and sprinted even harder. After what seemed like an eternity of screaming people and curses, Harry was finally hit. His right arm burned and he shouted in pain. Fleur didn't see him until she turned, a few meters ahead, desperately firing curses to defend Harry. However her efforts were futile, the deatheaters seemed to just keep on coming and were not below using the bystanders for shielding.

"Here it is! The end of the field! Come on!" She yelled desperately. Harry could barely hear. His ears were ringing and it felt like his arm was on fire. His mouth was open in a silent scream as he felt the pain build and build. He couldn't take it anymore. The death eaters were on him now. They pointed their wands at him and under their solemn masks, Harry saw snakelike grins of devilish men. Before he was knocked completely unconscious by the monsters, he managed to mouth the word " _go"_ to Fleur. She was crying fiercely and sprinted forward at the crowd. She wasn't fast enough though. With the crowds running at her, she could only push so much and avoid being trampled. The last thing he remember was hearing a lot of pops and one last scream.

"Harry!" Then, the Boy-Who-Lived knew no more as the world faded to black.


	11. Chapter 11

The sun rose on Britain. Birds chirped and soared through the air with freedom and grace. The water lapped peacefully on the beaches and the calm sounds of light morning traffic echoed throughout the city. Children woke and got ready for school while adults got ready for work. It was just another day in muggle Britain.

Wizards and witches were waking up as well. They casted their spells to start breakfast while they brushed their teeth and dressed into more work-appropriate robes. Their children were enjoying the last few weeks of freedom before leaving their homes and going back to Scotland to learn magic. It was just another day in magical Britain.

Harry Potter was not waking up for he was already awake. He could not fall asleep with the constant torture he endured at the hands of his nemesis' minions, the deatheaters. Every once in awhile, he would succumb to the pain and black out. He had already screamed his throat raw and blood stains covered his tattered robes. He'd never seen such cruelty and he knew in his heart he would never wish this upon anyone, except Voldemort and his gang of murderers and rapists.

Lucius Malfoy, the man who had assaulted him to begin with, took great pleasure in poking and prodding his subject with many instruments of pain. For a man who hated muggles, he certainly enjoyed using their torture tools. There was cycle to his torture which allowed Harry to keep from dying. Since there was repetition in his pain, Harry could physically prepare his body for it, but he knew that one day, he would succumb totally and die.

"Do you like that, halfbreed?" Lucius sneered. Harry looked up at him with dead eyes and spit in his eye. ' _Bullseye_ ' He thought with twisted satisfaction. Lucius simply pointed his wand at Harry and muttered, "Crucio!" Harry clenched his jaw as electricity ran through his every nerve. He felt his muscles contracting and flexing, trying cease the endless pain. Lucius relented but Harry still felt the pain. Pain did not go away easily, as Harry had realized early on.

Harry drooped his head and felt himself slip into unconsciousness. Blackness consumed him but he did not feel relieved. He knew that even in unconsciousness, he would feel the pain. Lucius made sure that if he was not awake, a man who had taught at Hogwarts when he had visited, Severus Snape, would use painful Legillimency on him. Images of death and bloodshed filled his thoughts as he slept, making him wish for physical pain again. It was an endless cycle that made Harry envy his mother and father, for their deaths had been swift and painless.

Harry couldn't keep track of the time he was there. There was a small window near the top of the cell that allowed the rats to come in and they would bite him sometimes. He sometimes saw the sun and sometimes the moon. It didn't matter to his tormentors, however. He would be broken by them day and night. Sometimes a woman who looked like his godfather, Sirius, would torture him. She would press her hand against his chest and scratch slowly with her long nails, painted a shiny black, much like her eyes. He would feel new scars forming where she constantly scratched. She also had bitten into his shoulder with metal mouthpiece with the word 'halfbreed' in it.

"You know, Potter." She said with a devilish smirk, "I could put you out of your misery, right now." She trailed her wand down his jawline. He kept his face emotionless. He could not feel anything with that statement except hate. He would not let them win. She pouted, "What? Nothing to say you little halfbreed?" She mocked ferociously and slapped his across his face. Five cuts appeared on his face and he felt a few dribbles of blood run down and drip off his chin.

Harry narrowed his eyes and his lip twitched. Bellatrix's eyes widened like a cat spotting a mouse, ready to pounce. She grabbed him by his throat, making him choke. "What was that, hmm Potter?" She taunted. Harry felt hate rising. After countless times of abuse, he could not stand looking at her eyes any longer. They were Sirius' eyes. They belonged to the man who had told him stories to make him laugh and care for him for five years. He was one of the first adults he trusted after the Dursleys. The emotional damn broke.

Tears streamed down his face and he cried. He was silent as tears ran down his cheeks in front of those eyes. He felt hatred towards himself. After what felt like ages, Bellatrix sneered, "You're weak. I don't see how you could have defeated the Dark Lord as a baby." She turned and strutted out of his cell, leaving him exhausted and hollow. Harry couldn't bear it anymore and slumped to the ground.

Death felt nearer than ever and Harry was ready for it. He felt the shadow fall over him and knew his soul would soon depart from him and he would be at peace. Harry didn't feel any emotions. With a terrifying realization, he realized he felt suppressed. It was like after seeing Sirius' eyes torture him and taunt his own death, Harry just couldn't handle it. He couldn't explain it but it was almost as if he felt so much that he couldn't feel anymore. Harry wondered if this was what many people felt while succumbing to a slow and agonizing disease.

Harry didn't die though. He survived and somehow kept his mind through it all. He was on the verge of breaking when he fell unconscious, but this was different. This felt unnatural. He realized as the world went black that he was being put under a spell.

When he woke up, Harry was in a graveyard, magically held to a tall gravestone. Upon a hill nearby, a house stood ominously. Harry recognized the graveyard and narrowed his eyes. His three tormentors surrounded a silver object. Harry saw it was a pocket watch. They murmured words of carnage while Lucius pointed his wand at the intricately carve S on the shell of the watch. There was a flash and the watch disintegrated. Then, the ashes of the destroyed watch swirled and formed a clump that looked suspiciously human.

The ashes melded together and molded itself into a babyish looking thing that looked like the one that died the last time Harry was here. Harry knew he was looking at Voldemort. Lucius grabbed it and immediately threw it into a bubbling cauldron which his and emitted green fumes. Then, he dropped a bone in, "Bone of the father, unknowingly given," Next, he cut Harry's hand and dripped it into the cauldron, "Blood of the enemy, forcibly taken," he continued. Finally, Harry watched as the man handed his knife to Bellatrix whom instantly without thinking, cut her own hand off. She screamed and Lucius muttered the final words for the potion, "Flesh of the servant, willingly given." The potion hissed and the bottom of it melted a little.

The baby rose from the mixture, growing and becoming more and more human. Harry was horrified beyond words as he saw Voldemort come back to life. Harry felt a mixture of horror and rage. The man who killed his family stood before him. Unlike this time, he did not have the support of the other champions. Harry felt his pockets and remembered that Bellatrix had taken his, since hers was snapped after being taken to Azkaban. He looked and saw Bellatrix curled into a ball nearby a gravestone. Lucius was busy looking at his newly reborn master to notice the magical restraints disappeared without the little focus Lucius gave them.

Harry quietly crept around while the deatheater was busy clothing his master. Finally making it to the place where Bellatrix was, Harry swept over her and covered her mouth with his hand. She struggled yet she was weak from her previous dismemberment. Harry snatched the wand from her and immediately stunned her. He considered just killing her but then changed his mind. A quick death was too good for the torturer. Harry turned to the main villain, Voldemort.

"It is... so good to be back, my dear Lucius." Voldemort said silkily. Lucius kept his head down and murmured in thanks. Voldemort turned immediately to where Harry was. His eyes widened and he cackled. "Ah! Harry Potter. I do apologize you had to see my rebirth as it is a..." He grimaced then smiled, "gruesome process." Harry gripped his wand and pointed it at Voldemort.

"Bombarda!"

"Protego!" Voldemort's wand was out faster than Harry could blink. The explosive spell ricocheted into a grave nearby, blowing it to tiny pieces. Harry dove behind a stone angel as a few sickly green curse whizzed by his head. Harry knew he wouldn't win against Voldemort, and Lucius was no push over either. He felt adrenalin pump through his veins. He knew that was the only thing keeping him from collapsing from his injuries. He knew the wondrous boost would not last for long and sprinted away from Voldemort.

"After him!' He heard Voldemort shriek. While Harry couldn't match them in spellpower, he was agile and fast, along with the severe weight loss, Harry sped through the graveyard, occasionally firing spells backwards. This was similar to when he and Fleur ran through the alleys of magical Paris, trying to keep from being captured. He longed to see her again. He had to keep moving, for Fleur.

Suddenly, he heard a sickening crunch and pain flair in his thigh. There, right above the knee was a metal spike that was clear through his leg. He bit his lip to keep from screaming and he tasted iron in his mouth, he had bitten his lip almost clean through. Harry kept moving, trying not to pass out from blood loss. He was just outside of the graveyard. He wasn't going to make it out of there alive.

Harry moaned in agony and limped as fast as he could bear. He couldn't feel his right leg anymore. He began to shiver and the world seemed to be getting colder. Then he dropped to the ground after feeling a pressure strike him on the small of his back. His vision blurred and he heard screaming. The last thought that went through his mind was that the screaming came from him.

Harry opened his eyes to a hall that looked similar to Beauxbatons' lunch hall. Harry smiled, as he looked around. The hall was empty but whenever he looked out the corner of his eye, Harry swore he saw people, students and teachers, eating dinner while talking and laughing. He thought he saw Fleur once and ran to the table but alas, no one was there. Except of course, for two black haired Potters. One a man, another a teenager.

"Not my first pick, but I suppose this is your purgatory, eh Harry?" The man said. Harry turned. "How's it going, son?"

"D-dad?"

"Well, that is something, huh? I actually do get to be called dad by you! Take that, death!" James Potter yelled at the sky. Harry frowned in confusion. James noticed and sighed, "Harry, I'm really sorry to be the one to tell you this, but Voldemort got you."

"What?"

"He struck you, well sort of you, with a killing curse. However the difference between you and everyone else is you have a little horcrux in your head. And because of that little detail, you have the chance to go back and finish the bastard." James spat, looking towards the doors where a feeble, baby-looking thing lay. It whimpered but Harry felt no want to go near it. He felt repulsed and wished he had his wand, if only to destroy the hideous creature. Harry shook his head, he couldn't have actually thought that?

"Don't worry, Harry. That's no baby, that's the horcrux."

"I see. And I can go back?"

"Free of charge."

"What if I don't want to?"

James sighed, "I wanna say that everything would be okay, that the world would defeat Voldemort but, I will not lie to you. The world would, in essence, go to shit." James put it bluntly.

Harry blinked, "Oh."

"Yeah, I've never really had a conversation like this with my dad so it's a little odd..."

"Yeah, I noticed." Harry said uncomfortably. James sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I'm sorry Harry, I really am and I don't to make you do anything but you're the only hope the world has. Only you can stop Voldemort."

"But, I'm not ready! What do I do when I wake up? Will I still be in the graveyard?"

James chuckled, "I wish I could give you the answers kiddo but this is already kinda crossing some lines. But know this, when the final battle comes, your mother and I will be watching, and no matter what happens, we will always love you."

Harry smiled, "T-thanks, dad. And I'll try. Voldemort isn't going to win. I won't let him." Harry said determinately.

"Good man, Harry. I love you."

"I love you too." Harry felt the world start to pull on him. He felt his soul be tugged back to his body. James widened his eyes and smacked his forehead.

"I almost forgot!"

"What?"

"Tell Sirius we miss him and that I said hi!" James said. Then as Harry was pulled back into the world of the living with an alarmed expression on his face, James broke out laughing. Then, Harry woke up. It was silent and he smelled fresh soil. The sun was coming up in the distance. Harry was alive again.


	12. Chapter 12

**A.N. Dear readers, I am terribly sorry this chapter took so long to come out. Homework and school and sports are a bitch but that is all coming to a close until the fall so that means I'll be able to post more, yay! Anyways, I do hope you enjoy the twelfth chapter of this story! ~ Patchwork Dr.**

Harry Potter glared down at the castle below him. He never thought he'd come back after the Triwizard Tournament but, as fate would have it, there he was. He felt the magic of the border of the castle surge through him. He recognized this with feeling a lot after his recent resurrection, as if the world had become clearer to him. Maybe it was because he didn't have a miniature Dark Lord in his head anymore. Either way, Harry definitely thought it was an improvement.

He trudged through the empty castle and through vague memory, finally managed to find himself at the Headmaster's door. He knocked once before the door opened. He saw Dumbledore look up from his books. His eyes twinkled and surprise was etched onto his face.

"Harry? You had disappeared! My boy! Please sit!" Dumbledore quickly ushered to the chair in front of his desk. Harry smiled weakly.

"Thank you, Professor Dumbledore. There is, of course, a reason I came here. I think you might find this information very interesting." Harry smirked. Dumbledore leaned forward and laced his fingers together, his eyes twinkling even brighter.

"Please, share this information. But, before hand, I think I'd like to know how you miraculously returned!" Dumbledore exclaimed.

"Well, it started when Voldemort killed me."

"Beg your pardon, Mr. Potter?"

"He killed me, headmaster." Harry deadpanned. "Of course, I'm still here which begs the question..."

"How are you alive." Dumbledore answered.

"Now, I won't go into specific detail of what happened when I was dead because that is a little personal. However, the gist of what I learned was Voldemort has split his soul." Harry said gravely. Dumbledore blanched.

"Are you totally sure of this information, Harry?" Dumbledore asked with a somber expression. Harry nodded.

"As sure as the sun sets, Professor. Voldemort had anchored me when he was resurrected-"

"Then Voldemort is truly alive once more." Dumbledore stated. "I suppose that shouldn't surprise me, he was always looking into dark things such as resurrection from the dead."

Harry nodded once again, "But, what I really wanted to tell you professor was when he was resurrected, he used my blood and anchored me to this world. He also had given me more than just a scar, he inserted a part of his soul into my body, one seventh if I am correct." Harry said.

"Seven..."

"Yes sir. However, I think that together, if we trust each other, we can work towards a goal of our mutual benefit, ending Voldemort." Harry explained. Dumbledore sighed.

"So much has changed in the recent time that I will need to think on this before making a decision. Will you be staying in Britain?"

Harry shook his head, "Unfortunately not professor. I need to reconnect with Fleur and Sirius. I'm sure they will be missing me." Harry said with melancholy. Dumbledore smiled warmly.

"Very good Harry. I'm very happy you decided to confide in me. Now, I believe it's time our meeting was adjourned. I am sure you miss your family after all." Dumbledore said.

Harry nodded, "Indeed sir. When you are ready to meet again, send me an owl and we can start a discussion on the future." Harry held out his hand and Dumbledore shook it.

"Yes, yes..." Dumbledore said distractedly, his mind going over their talk. He looked out the window, past the hills and to the sun that was beginning it's decent on the horizon. "So much has changed and I think it would be best for us all to be ready. Whether they be in Britain or not."

"Goodbye sir."

"I hope to see you soon, Harry." With that, Harry threw down the floo powder.

"Black Mansion, France!" Harry declared.

* * *

Harry was quickly thrown out of the fireplace and onto a hardwood floor. He stood up wearily and brushed the dust off of his shoulders. The mansion was eerily quiet. Harry shivered at the sad atmosphere that quickly overtook his senses. He started walking through the house but did not yet call out. He did not want to cause too much noise. After all, he wasn't sure what kind of state Sirius was in. He entered the kitchen where there were a few bottles of empty alcohol on the dining table. He picked one up. It was still cold.

"Oh Sirius, what did I do to you..." Harry muttered, glancing over the messy kitchen. Suddenly, he felt a wand press against his back.

"Who. Are. You?" A voice asked with a steely edge to his voice. Harry turned to face his godfather. Sirius' defense dropped for a split second.

"Harry? No, Harry's probably dead by now. Eh deatheater? You probably killed him!" He roared. Harry backed up.

"Woah! Sirius! Calm down!" A sickly green spell zoomed over his head. Harry glared and raised his wand.

"I don't want to hurt you but you're not giving me much of a choice."

Sirius snorted, "Yeah right! So, tell me, is the real Harry still alive or did you bastards kill him?" Sirius asked cruelly.

Harry shook his head, "It is me!"

"Your charade is poor, death eater. Prepare to meet your maker!" Sirius shouted. Harry sighed and readied his wand. He would stun Sirius if he had to. They exchanged spells, Sirius upping the deadliness factor with every wave. Harry dove behind cover when the spells started getting harder to block or dodge. He noticed there were tears in Sirius' eyes which made him feel a little guilty. Suddenly, the spells started slowing. Harry looked up from behind his cover. He was getting tired.

"I'm sorry Sirius, but this is for your own good..." Harry muttered and nailed Sirius with a quick stunner. Sirius slumped to the ground, knocked out cold.

About half an hour later, Harry was reading a dark arts book he found inside the Black Library when Sirius moaned. "My bloody head!" Suddenly, his eyes shot open and he rolled into a ready stance, reaching for a wand that was not their.

"Looking for this?" Harry asked. Sirius scowled but said nothing, "Now, before you accuse me of being a death eater in disguise again, remember that I didn't send a single harmful spell at you, except for a stunner. However you did kind of deserve it." Harry argued. Sirius' angry expression softened a little but he still looked a little skeptical.

"If you really are Harry, tell me something only Harry would know." Sirius said cautiously. Harry rolled his eyes.

"Well, I remember that time when I was thirteen and you were in your animagus form and you... cleaned yourself." Harry said disturbed. Sirius suddenly turned bright red.

"W-well... I mean, jeez Harry, did you really have to bring that up again?" Sirius asked embarrassedly. Harry laughed.

"I don't know if anything else would have worked." Harry admitted, turning a little pink himself. Sirius looked him up and down.

"So you managed to escape the death eaters, eh?" Sirius asked, impressed. "Not bad but you definitely need to give me the details."

Harry sighed, wishing he didn't need to explain it again, "It started with the attack in Paris. Fleur and I were running and fighting and I fell behind. Fleur tried to help but, alas, I was captured by Lucius and his merry band." Harry felt a pang of sadness, but shook his head, "Then, for a long time, I was tortured by your dear cousin and your brother in law." Sirius turned red and growled. Harry patted his shoulder, "Anyways, eventually, they took me to this graveyard where they managed to resurrect Voldemort." Harry heard Sirius sniff sharply.

"So snakeface is back, huh? Should've known he wouldn't be dead forever. Guess wishful thinking got me." Sirius chuckled darkly.

"Yeah but that's not even the most shocking part." Harry continued, "After he was resurrected, I managed to escape, sort of. The death eaters gave chase and one even managed to shoot a metal spike right through my thigh. Man that hurt like a bitch!" Harry exclaimed, rubbing the new scar on his thigh. "Then as they all caught up to me, Voldemort killed me."

"What?!" Sirius exclaimed.

"Yep! But, because I had a horcrux in my head, it took the blast for me and I was able to return to the world of the living because Voldemort used my blood to resurrect and so, tied me to the world of the living." Harry finalized. Sirius raised his eyebrow.

"Well, that's certainly good, but if he had a horcux in you, that means his soul was so unstable that when the curse that hit you when you were a baby, it attached to you without the ritual. That means he probably made more than one." Sirius theorized. Harry scowled darkly.

"I'll talk to Dumbledore about that next time."

"You talked to Dumbledore already?" Sirius asked.

Harry nodded, "Yep. I think that since Voldemort returned, it would be best for one of the only wizards he ever feared to be on our side." Harry said.

"Gotcha. Well, I'm certainly glad you're okay after all of this." Sirius said optimistically. Harry smiled weakly.

"I guess it could have been a lot worse, eh?" Harry joked. Sirius smirked.

"Oh I dunno. Have you revealed yourself to Fleur yet?" Sirius asked. Harry paled a little at the thought of Fleur thinking he was captured, or worse. He shook his head. He had been sort of caught up in traveling from England to Scotland, just to tell Dumbledore of what happened. On his little cross-country trip, Harry hadn't really paid much attention to the date. Time just seemed to slip away.

"She's been worrying her heart out you know." Sirius commented.

"Right... I mean, I need to talk to her! Mind if I use the floo?" Harry asked. Sirius shrugged.

"Be my guest, kiddo." Sirius said. He started to leave the room when he turned back, "I hope you can make it back for supper! I'm having a lovely roast and I'm sure you're hungry." Sirius called. Harry's stomach rumbled and he chuckled.

"See you then, Sirius."

"Goodbye Harry."

"Delacour Mansion!" Harry shouted. In a whirl of green flame, Harry disappeared.

When he arrived at Delacour Mansion, Harry tumbled out of the fireplace, almost discovering what marble floors tasted like first-hand. Pulling himself up he looked around.

"I wonder where she is..." Harry pondered. He searched the house but could not find her. Suddenly, he remembered Fleur was probably at work. Harry decided for Fleur, he could be a little dramatic his his return. He smiled deviously.

It was only two hours when Fleur returned. It was very dark in her home but she didn't worry. She dropped her bag onto the ground near the door, with an exhausted look on her face. Fleur smiled wearily and entered the kitchen, hoping for a light dinner and a good night's sleep. Of course, a good sleep was a rather rare occurrence for her and the bags under her eyes were the only thing to show for it. Ever since Harry had disappeared, Fleur just couldn't sleep right.

However, it seemed this was one of the few nights that she might actually sleep well. She felt a strange sense of optimism even though she was dead tired and emotionally drained from work with lack of sleep. A shuffle in the dark corner of the kitchen had her ready to fight in an instant.

"Who is zhere?" She called out, both afraid and anxious.

"Not very polite to point your wand at a friend, luv." Harry chuckled. He waved his wand and muttered, "lumos." When the light revealed him, Fleur felt a wave of emotion hit her like a train. It was Harry. He was alive, and he was safe. Harry smirked. "Didja miss me? Because I certainly missed you Fleur."

"...'Arry?" Fleur said, her mouth gaping open.

"Careful, you might catch flies." Harry said. She immediately snapped her mouth shut and Harry opened his arms. "Well?" He asked

"Well what?" She asked.

Harry grinned cheekily, "Aren't you going to give an old friend a hug?" Fleur almost immediatly snatched Harry in a bear hug to which he had no hope of escaping. He could feel the blood rushing to his head and Fleur's chokehold-like hug started suffocating him.

"Please be careful, Fleur, I died once and believe me, I don't want a repeat experience for a long time."

"You died?!" Fleur screeched. Harry felt her arms tighten around him even more. He had a lot to explain.


	13. Chapter 13

Birds were singing, the sun was shining, and Harry Potter felt very comfortable. The soft, warm sheets made him want to curl into a ball and fall back asleep. Unfortunately for him, his brain started buzzing. He would be meeting with Dumbledore today. This time however, Sirius would be going with him. Since he was a Black, Sirius knew about many types of dark magic. While he wasn't a scholar on the subject, he knew more than most on horcuxes. Sirius would be essential to Dumbledore and Harry if they were to defeat Voldemort.

Harry stumbled out of the headmaster's fireplace and Sirius was right behind him. Harry coughed and brushed the dust off of his robes, slightly irritated at magical travel in general.

"It doesn't get easier, you know." Dumbledore said softly, his eyes twinkling. Harry scowled and Sirius chuckled, patting him on the back.

"Don't worry pup, you'll manage to not fall flat on your arse one day." Sirius joked. Harry directed his scowling at him and swatted his arm.

"Hilarious." Harry muttered, rubbing the sore spots on his body from the magical transportation.

"Now," Dumbledore started, "let us get down to business." With a wave of his wand, Dumbledore made two comfortable looking chairs appear in front of the headmaster's desk.

"First of all, Voldemort has indeed returned, that cannot be argued." Dumbledore said. The other two nodded. Now it was Harry's turn to speak.

"Yes. Not only is Voldemort back but he used my blood. That means unfortunately, I am no longer protected by my mother's final sacrifice. The silver lining is Voldemort also destroyed the horcrux that was lodged in my head. With the discovery of this horcrux, we know he had to have created more if his soul was unstable enough to latch on to me." Harry concluded. Dumbledore nodded.

"While I have certainly never heard of splitting your soul multiple times, I suppose in theory it would be possible. However, the more you split your soul, the more divided your physical and mental state will be. Your magic will decrease with each separation and you will slowly lose your sanity. Voldemort probably diminished these side effects with different dark magic. Possibly the soul leech hex? That's a pretty heavy spell but I wouldn't put it past him." Sirius said grimly.

"The problem is now what are the horcruxes?" Harry asked.

"Ah. I may have an answer." Dumbledore informed, "You see, back about two or three years, a diary came into possession of a student. This was a horcrux of Voldemort. It persuaded the student to do terrible things. Thankfully, her brothers noticed and we immediately took possession of the diary. It is still here, inside my desk. As I was not totally sure of what it was, I did not want to tamper with it, especially considering it belonged to Voldemort." Dumbledore opened the drawer of the desk and placed the diary in between them. All three cast anxious looks towards the book..

"So, this is another horcrux?" Harry asked. Dumbledore nodded.

"I am absolutely positive."

"Do you know how to destroy it, Sirius?" Harry asked, hoping the answer was yes. Harry wasn't reassured when Sirius nodded his head but looked grim.

"We can but it's very difficult to pull off."

"Difficult how?" Harry asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, if my memory is correct, the only way to destroy a horcrux is basilisk venom, which is extremely hard to find, or fiendfyre which is exceptionally difficult to control. Basically either we can find the venom or maybe just hand them over to you, professor." Sirius said, glancing at Dumbledore. He chuckled.

"While I am a man of many talents, I do not claim to know much on fiendfyre." Dumbledore said. Harry groaned.

"Another problem we face is, where are the rest of the horcruxes?" Harry asked miserably. They could literally be almost anything, anywhere.

"Knowing Voldemort, he has probably put them in something personal or important." Dumbledore said, "We already know he has put one into the diary. However, I am not too sure what else it could be." Dumbledore thought out loud.

"Why don't we start with the horcrux we have? Maybe that will put us on a lead?" Sirius said uncertainly. It was a longshot however since the other two could not come up with a better solution, Dumbledore removed the diary from his desk.

"I think it would be best if I write in it." Harry said, "He would not trust you, Professor, and he doesn't really know anything about you, Sirius. He's targeted me before and I'm sure he'd be interested in trying to have a go at me."

"Are you sure, Harry? When Ginny Weasley wrote in that book, it almost took her over. I do not like the implied risks-"

"I'm sure, Professor." Harry nodded confidently.

Opening the book, Harry drew a quill and dabbled it into the ink. ' _Here goes nothing_ ' Harry thought nervously.

 ** _Hello._**

Harry was shocked when the word disappeared into the page like water being soaked up like a sponge.

 _ **Hello. Who is this?**_

 _ **Harry James Potter. To whom am I writing to?**_

 _ **Tom Marvolo Riddle, at your service.**_

"Tom Marvolo Riddle? Was that Voldemort's original name?" Harry asked. Dumbledore nodded.

"Indeed it is, Harry. After this, we will discuss Voldemort and his history." Dumbledore promised. Harry nodded and continued writing.

 _ **How are you inside a book, Tom?**_

 _ **Long ago, I used magic to hold a part of me inside my diary. I am a memory of myself.**_

 _ **Have you done this with other things?**_

 ** _Yes._**

"I believe that is enough for now, Harry." Dumbledore said over Harry's shoulder. "We will continue this later." Harry nodded, gripping the book tightly. He felt compelled to keep writing. Really, what would a few sentences do to him? It wasn't that big of a deal...

"Harry, let go of the book." Sirius urged softly. Harry shook his head and handed the diary to the headmaster who delicately held the book as if it were a bomb about to go off at any second.

"Feel free to stay the night here, gentlemen." Dumbledore said. "I imagine you two are going to be here often."

"Thank you, Headmaster." Sirius said, "Let's go, Harry."

Harry felt a little dizzy and disoriented but nodded slowly. He blinked rapidly, the world becoming more defined. That journal was trouble. For the first time in a long time, Harry felt fear.

* * *

Harry woke up to a crack of lightning. Rain poured down on the glass window next to him and the sounds of the empty castle adjusting was eerie. Harry shivered and wiped the sweat from his brow. He felt his heart slow from his quick awakening. He was grateful that he'd awoken. He'd had another nightmare.

For the past two nights, Sirius, Dumbledore, and Harry planned and schemed, creating plans for the best way to destroy Voldemort before war broke out. Writing in that diary hadn't gone anywhere unfortunately however it seemed the three were determined to keep trying. Harry felt more than determination, however. Every time he wrote in the diary, he felt a tug at his gut to keep writing, more and more. The book demanded he pour his soul out. He should sell out every dark secret and thought in his mind until he was nothing more than a walking corpse, without a thought. Harry definitely was glad it was secured in Dumbledore's office or he was afraid that he would be caught in the tide of magic the diary wielded.

Harry shook his head, trying to clear the frightening thoughts from his head. Dumbledore had kept a wary eye on him whenever he opened the diary. He knew horcruxes could manipulate people but he'd never realized how tempting the pull was until he had started conversing with Riddle. Thankfully, the diary would be soon destroyed as Harry was finally getting some decent information about the location of the horcruxes. The tugging he felt to write was constant and he knew that soon, it would become unbearable. He hadn't told Sirius or Dumbledore about this strange and fast acting addiction. Although, he did think that Dumbledore suspected something and Sirius didn't like him writing in that in general.

Of course, Tom was definitely not helping it move along. It took at least half an hour to even get a spec of information from him without him suspecting Harry. It was a lot like walking on a old rickety rope bridge. One wrong step, and it was over. Harry hated these cat and mouse games however he knew it was necessary in order to destroy the horcruxes and defeat Voldemort.

Sitting in his bed, Harry started rubbing his scar. Even though the horcrux was gone, Harry's scar still prickled every once in awhile and it definitely stung a little when he wrote in the diary. He theorized that because his blood was running through Voldemort, they now shared an even deeper connection than before. Not only did Harry have a piece of Voldemort's soul in his head, but now it appeared his shared blood with him. He knew blood was extremely important in magic.

The two would be tied together until one of them would be capable of fully dying and died for good. Unfortunately, at the moment, Voldemort wasn't capable of dying yet and Harry was. This gave Voldemort an advantage that Harry seriously hoped he didn't know about. Hell, it probably evened the playing field since Voldemort didn't realize he was alive. Soon though, Harry would tip the scales back into his favor with the destruction of the horcruxes.

Harry glanced outside at the pouring rain and sighed. He needed more sleep if he was going to talk to Riddle again. The book was like a sponge, sucking up all of his magic.

* * *

Harry wrote furiously in the book, his eyes glazed over. It had been a few hours since Harry had begun writing and Sirius and Dumbledore looked ready to pull him out again. Each time he wrote for a longer time but Harry kept insisting they were getting closer. This time around, Harry began muttering once in awhile about how he was close. Although it sounded good in theory, Dumbledore and Sirius were afraid Harry might become lost to them if he delved too deep. They were playing with fire and Harry was dousing himself in gasoline.

"Harry?" Sirius asked, touching his shoulder. Dumbledore's eyes weren't twinkling anymore. His brow furrowed and and clasped Harry's other shoulder.

"My boy, I think it's time you stop writing for today. We can always come back tomorrow or even tonight if I deem you well enough." Dumbledore said sternly. Harry scowled.

"No..." He muttered, still scribbling furiously, "I'm so close."

"Harry-" Albus started.

"NO! You will not stop me, old man!" Harry screeched turning to him with a red tint to his normally green eyes. Suddenly, he scowled and turned back to the book, writing with a look of anger on his face.

Sirius grasped the book with both hands and tugged fiercely. Harry's hand appeared to be glued to the diary because the book was not leaving the boy's hands. "Harry! It's time to stop!" Sirius shouted, concern present on his face and eyes. He continued trying to steal away the journal but his attempts were fruitless. Harry was intent on writing in the book until the last page and with the words constantly disappearing, that seemed an impossible goal. Harry's eyes were now more red than before. His voice was raspy.

"Yes... So close. I can feel it." He muttered over and over.

"What are you close to, Harry?" Dumbledore asked, his fears building. Something was terribly wrong with the boy. Dumbledore's heart dropped when Harry faced him with eyes as red as fire and a sneer.

"Not Harry anymore, Headmaster. He's not at home anymore." Harry tilted his head and grinned. Sirius gasped and Dumbledore winced.

"Tom, you will leave Harry's body this instant." Dumbledore said cooly with a commanding edge to his voice, Harry didn't waver.

"Or what old man? You'll destroy me? As if! I can guarantee that little Harry won't come back again." Voldemort taunted.

"Come on Harry! You've got to fight him!" Sirius shouted, breaking out of his stupor. Harry glanced at him with a sneer.

"I do hate repeating myself, Sirius Black. Harry is gone. He isn't coming back." Voldemort repeated.

"Then we have nothing left to loose to duel you." Albus swiftly interrupted.

"You wish to duel, old man? Then come on!" Voldemort shouted, gripping Harry's wand in his hand. Dumbledore's wand was pointed towards the boy in a flash, a dangerous twinkle ignited in his eyes while Harry's looked as if his were going to catch fire. "Avada Kedavera!"

 **Sorry for the slow updates! I've got some shit to sort through and as always, writer's block is a bitch. See you all in the next chapter. For now though, enjoy! ~Patchwork Dr.**


	14. Chapter 14

Dumbledore dove to the left as the killing curse screamed towards him. Sirius immediately pulled out his wand only to be thrown into a wall, crumpling with a sickened crack. Dumbledore could barely spare a glance at the man before Voldemort fired off another killing curse at him. This time, Dumbledore flicked his wand and a split second later, one of the cushy armchairs meant for guests caught the full force of the curse, blasting the chair into mere splinters of wood. Voldemort growled lower than what should have been possible for Harry.

"You won't kill me, Dumbledore, but I have no problems with ending your miserable life." He rasped, Harry's voice was lined with Voldmort's, "Either I will kill you and escape, or you will eventually manage to escape. Either way, I win." Voldemort taunted. Dumbledore's face was a mask of fury. Now it was his turn.

Dumbledore twisted his wand and the ground beneath Voldemort's trembled. Suddenly, a patch of the wood flooring was ripped from underneath him, making Voldemort fall. He quickly rolled backwards and looked up. Three stunners were centimeters from his face when they crashed against a protego. Dumbledore was relentless and continued firing off spells although the spells in question were not lethal, just damaging. Voldemort chuckled darkly.

"Even now, you still are determined to bring Potter back? He is dead, sealed within my mind and slowly rotting away! Soon, I will rule this body and kill you through his eyes!" Voldemort laughed maniacally, something that looked horrifying on Harry.

"You will not win, Tom. I won't let Harry down." Dumbledore muttered. His wand was in constant motion. Blue, red and green spells clashed creating a light show of pain and death. Dumbledore was a blur of motion and light, firing off spells as fast as his mind could think them which is, to say the least, exceptionally fast. Voldemort was also extremely fast, however because it was Harry's body, who was not used to the strain of multiple killing curses and intense duels, Voldemort started breathing heavily. Dumbledore's eyes twinkled.

"It seems you are tiring, Tom. I do hope this is part of your plan? Otherwise, an old man like me will have defeated you rather, easily." Dumbledore chuckled.

"No! Damn this form!" Voldemort screeched. "I will not give it up, no matter the strain! I'll let Harry's body die before I give it up to you, Dumbledore!" He heaved. Dumbledore smirked.

"I have no plans of burning you out entirely. I just needed you to slow down so I could do-" Suddenly, Fawkes flew into Dumbledore's shoulder, flame traveling him behind Voldemort, "-this!" With a quick expulso curse, Voldemort hit the wall, hard.

Before Voldemort could stand up once more, Dumbledore shot ropes at his hands and feet, snatching his wand from the ground, "I suppose I win then." Dumbledore chuckled. Voldemort glared up at him, snarling.

"I will not give him up Albus! You cannot make me! Poor Harry is lost forever." Tom cackled, squirming under his restraints. Albus' eyes narrowed.

"Just the mad ramblings of a horcrux." Albus muttered, staring into Harry's red and green eyes, "But you would know all about horcruxes, eh Tom?" Albus chuckles as a hint of fear flashed through Voldemort's eyes.

"Y-you cannot defeat me, Dumbledore!" Tom screamed, putting on a brave front.

"No, we probably can't, at least not by force." Dumbledore muttered. Slowly, Albus pointed his wand at Voldemort's temple and murmured, "Legimens." Voldemort's pupils dilated rapidly and he screamed.

* * *

Harry's eyes fluttered open. All he could see was stone. It was very similar looking to the cell he was kept in when he endured Lucius Malfoy's and Bellatrix Black's tender mercies. His mind felt fuzzy and he could feel pulsing in his temples. His fingers hurt as if someone had broken every bone in them and his eyes watered with tiredness. He blinked rapidly, trying to find the source of light in the cell with no windows and no doors, but none could be found.

Suddenly, Harry's memories hit him like a train. He gasped and pressed his hands against his ears. Flashes of the past few days moved across his eyes and he winced. He remembered Tom Riddle and the horcruxes. Holy Hell, he might have found a few of the horcrux locations!

For some strange reason, Harry didn't feel panicked. It was as if something was suppressing his thoughts. He felt a small tug at the front of his mind, his subconscious. Harry winced and rubbed his forehead. His fingers pressed upon his scar. A a white hot burning pain swept across his mind and he yelled, falling backwards and hitting hard stone. He groaned. "Where am I?" Harry asked himself. He noticed his voice echoed more than it should have in a small stone cell. Glancing around, he approached a nearby wall, holding his hand out.

* * *

Harry laid still on the farthest cot in the Hospital Wing. Albus Dumbledore sat in an armchair next to him, staring intently at him. Most would just assume he was looking at the poor boy with concern but something was going on that was much more intense than just concern in Dumbledore's head. Through legimency, Dumbledore was slowly beating away at Tom Riddle's Occlumency shields.

Occasionally, Dumbledore would blink and look around. He would check his pocket watch and if it was noon, mid-morning or night, he would request a house elf to bring him dinner. He rarely was caught sleeping and if so, he stayed in that state for only a few hours. Harry also stayed mostly expressionless. He never opened his eyes and was force-fed potions to keep him alive. Voldemort was playing hardball, constantly counterattacking Dumbledore's attempts to invade his mind with powerful magic. Sometimes, Harry would groan in pain. Dumbledore knew that Harry was alive in there somewhere and he was determined to free him.

Sirius would visit often, to just sit in hospital wing with his godson. When he caught Albus awake, he would instantly ask fearfully how the progress was. The answer was always very similar. It seemed Dumbledore was chipping away at a brick wall with his bare hands. Eventually, he'd get through, but it would be a long, painful time before any major progress happened.

A week passed. Then two. Soon, a full month had expired since Voldemort had taken control over Harry. Dumbledore soon put all of his focus in trying to pull Harry out. Nothing seemed to be a solution and Sirius could see it in the headmaster's eyes on the off chance he wasn't smashing away at Tom's mental shields. He somehow became even skinnier than he was before and his eyes had lost their twinkle completely. It seemed even the great Albus Dumbledore was losing hope, until one fateful day.

* * *

Harry sudden;y felt as if something was very wrong. He shouldn't try to push against the stone wall. It would hurt to touch the wall, one voice explained. It sounded very logical and Harry's head was starting to hurt. The longer he reached out to the stone, the more he could feel his skull pounding. He growled in frustration and put his hand to his side and sat down on the floor, staring at the stone wall that tormented him. He took another look at the wall.

 _"Try to touch it"_ One voice said, echoing off of the walls.

 _"No"_ commanded another voice, _"Do not try. You will get hurt"_

"Will you both shut up!" Harry snarled, rubbing the crown of his head. He squeezed his eyes shut, "Focus..." he murmured. Suddenly, the voices receeded to a quiet whisper and he felt his senses sharpen. He glared at the wall in front of him and stood. Carefully, Harry started walking through the wall. It was an illusion! Harry frowned and stepped to the other side of the wall. When he looked around, Harry found he was standing in a long winding corridor. He turned around and found solid wall behind him. He reached out and felt solid stone. He blinked in confusion. He turned to the other side of the corridor and saw a torch.

Harry looked down the looming hallway. He felt a light breeze coming from that direction. He turned to analyze the other path down the corridor but that too was replaced by solid brick. It seemed Harry would have to walk down the long, eerie corridor. Harry gripped the torch determinately and strode down the corridor. Sound bounced around the hall as Harry stepped. The echoes threw him off and he was constantly looking over his shoulder. If Hogwarts had a hallway of evil, Harry knew this is what is must have looked like.

Suddenly, the light breeze stopped. The silence was deafening. Harry stopped and his shoulders tensed. Something had changed in his mind. He shuddered and shook his head. He had to find his way out of here, fast. Harry could feel something bad would happen soon.

"How do I get out of here!" Harry shouted angrily. It was silent. Harry huffed, "Well that's just wonderful, thank you." Harry grumbled to no one in particular. He continued walking for a few more paces before the silence was shatter by a howl of wind. Air whipped through his hair and he had to squint to keep his eyes from drying out. His torch went out and Harry's stomach dropped.

"W-well, what now?" He asked. He heard a grinding like a boulder being rolled and suddenly, down the hall, Harry saw a flash of light. Harry immediately sprinted towards it.

"Ah ah ah, Harry. You're not leaving that easily."

* * *

Dumbledore thought somberly. He looked worse for wear and he definitely felt it as well. Albus rubbed his chin while thinking of Voldemort's defences. They were layered and it seemed he could do nothing to penetrate them. He sighed and rubbed his forehead. He glanced down at Harry before sighing. "Back at it, I suppose." He murmured sadly.

When he entered he was shocked at what he was seeing. An opening had appeared in Voldemort's defenses! Albus quickly rushed all of his power to that opening. He peered inside and inhaled sharply. Harry was pointing his wand at a young Tom Riddle.

"Ah ah ah, Harry. You're not leaving that easily." Tom drawled. He was wandless, but his fingers were near his pocket, occasionally twitching.

"So you're Tom Riddle?" Harry asked warily, his wand still pointing at him.

"Indeed I am. You're Harry Potter." Voldemort gazed at him with a cruel curiosity. "You are a very curious boy, Potter."

"The feeling isn't mutual." Harry growled. His knuckles were white and his hands were shaking angrily.

"I would imagine it isn't. No matter, though. I am not here to talk to you." Voldemort explained, waving his hand nonchalantly. "I am here to ensure you never escape. You know too much." Voldemort said venomously. Harry scowled.

"I'm leaving, Tom. I'm taking my body back and I will make sure you never hurt anyone ever again!" Harry shouted defiantly. Voldemort chuckled darkly.

"I'm sure. Time to go back to your cell, little boy. This time, you will not escape." Tom said.

"I think that is enough, Riddle." Dumbledore said calmly. Pointing his own wand at Voldemort. Harry gasped and Tom turned, his eyes narrowing.

"Dumbledore!" Harry and Tom said with either spite or wonder.

"Let us finish this." Albus said determinedly, "I am already bored of beating you."

"This is the mind, Dumbledore! You cannot beat me in my own mind!" Riddle shouted.

"Actually..." Harry said, preparing to cast, "This is my mind. You're in my world now, bitch." Both Harry and the Headmaster's wands started glowing with light, preparing to end the existence of the horcrux known as Tom Riddle Jr.

A.N. What's up everyone! So, good old Tommie is soon gonna be no more than ashes of an old diary. But, what about the rest of the horcruxes? This one seems to be pretty damn troublesome so you can only imagine what I've got in store for the others! Mwahahahaha! Anyways, hope you all enjoy and please review!


	15. Chapter 15

At the same time, both Harry and Dumbledore shot spells at Riddle. "Bombarda!" Harry cried, while Dumbledore merely fired silently, a stream of white fire shooting from his wand. Voldemort shouted in rage and quickly pressed his wand against the ground. Suddenly, the ground floor rumbled and two pillars of rock shot from the ground. Both spells crashed into the pillars. Harry's eyes were wide with surprise while Dumbledore glared with a furious curiosity.

"Harry, this is your mind! Use it!" Dumbledore urged, "Osso Briseur!" he shouted, distracting Voldemort who yelled in pain from his now broken hand. Harry was stunned. He closed his eyes and tried to focus. He screwed his eyes shut and sat down, trying to shut out the sound of the fighting before him.

"Harry…" a distant voice called out. He tilted his head, listening intently. "Harry…" it said again, more clearly now. It sounded like Fleur. He breathed in slowly through his nose and exhaled out through his mouth. His senses seemed to sharpen. Everything became clearer.

Albus and Riddle traded spells, each amping up the danger factor with each curse. It started with a stunner and an expulso, then a bombarda and a crucio. Before long, Albus was using rather questionable spells while Voldemort was throwing out killing curses like they were sweets. Suddenly, their environment seemed to change. The details in the walls of Voldemort's occlumency seemed to falter and crack. Voldemort himself winced.

"What is happening?!" he screeched. His anger only made him more deadly as his casting speed increased. It was good Albus was as skilled as he was or else he would've already been killed twenty times over.

Flashes of color illuminated Harry's eyelids. He winced but kept his eyes closed. 'Come on! Focus!' he thought. Fleur's voice became clearer she quickly became his focus. He knew he had to win this fight. Losing was not an option he could afford. Dumbledore, Sirius, and Fleur were relying on him and he would not fail them again.

Suddenly, Harry's eyes snapped open. He felt power pulsing through the background of his mind. Harry's hands glowed red. Voldemort and Dumbledore both immediately stopped casting, focusing their attention of Harry.

"Harry…" Dumbledore said breathlessly. He snapped out of it very quickly, "You've got it, Harry! Finish him off now!" he urged. His wand twitched as if ready to snap back to fighting. Voldemort sneered.

"Please. So boy, you think you can defeat the most powerful wizard of the century? Try your best!" Voldemort jeered. Harry raised his eyebrow and smirked.

"Why would I fight Albus Dumbledore? He and I are on the same side."

"Foolish boy! Prepare to die, this time for good!" Voldemort shrieked, "Avada Keda—" That was all Voldemort could say before his throat constricted. It was as if a pair of invisible hands were strangling him.

"Tom Marvolo Riddle, this isn't your mind, and it never will be," Harry said with authority in his voice. Voldemort winced as Harry's magic continued suffocating him.

"I will… not… die!" Voldemort choked. Harry snapped his fingers and Riddle slowly floated off of the ground.

"I'm not going to kill you in here, we'll do that outside my mind. I'm just booting you out of my conscious," Harry said confidently.

"No! You will be mine!" Voldemort screamed.

"I don't think so, Tom." Harry snapped his fingers once more and the red magic around his hands wrapped itself around Tom. He screamed in agony and disappeared with a pop. Harry dropped to one knee and caught his breath. "That was exhausting," Harry huffed. Dumbledore clapped his shoulder and chuckled.

"I would think so, Harry. That was quite some feat of magic," He lauded. Harry nodded and grinned.

"Thank you, sir," Harry said.

"I believe it is time we dealt with that pesky horcrux once and for all, don't you agree?" Dumbledore asked, holding his hand out to Harry. He nodded and took the headmaster's hand.

"I think so, headmaster," Dumbledore winked and both of them closed their eyes. Harry's mind darkened and he felt a rush as if being pulled to the surface of a lake very quickly.

Both of them snapped their eyes open and gasped. Harry put his hand to his chest and heaved heavily. Dumbledore quickly scooped up the book and started walking to the exit of the medical ward. "Come along, Harry," he called. Harry smiled wearily and stood up. His legs felt like jelly, and he quickly had to grip the rails on the beds as he stumbled toward the doors.

"Ah. I see you've got very stiff legs… or rather the opposite, I suppose, from laying in bed those long weeks," Albus observed, quickly drawing his wand and tapping Harry on the shoulder. Warmth spread through his limbs and he slowly regained feeling in his legs. Harry smiled gratefully and then suddenly turned white.

"Weeks?" Harry choked. Albus nodded solemnly.

"It is to my deep regret that I could not have pulled you out sooner. I am also sad to say that without that hole you found in Voldemort's occlumency shields, you might have been totally lost, forever," Albus responded gravely.

"Well, I suppose we shouldn't dwell on that," Harry gulped. Dumbledore nodded and clapped his shoulder.

"We have much to do, and unfortunately, more horcruxes to destroy." Harry brightened up.

"Oh! I wasn't able to tell you because of the diary thing but, I have information on the horcruxes! He's got the diary—"

"Which will be disposed of quickly," Dumbledore said, glancing quickly at the ground, thinking of the dead Basilisk.

"Okay. He's also got some serious artifacts as other horcruxes. There's Ravenclaw's diadem, Hufflepuff's cup, Slytherin's locket, his family ring, and his pet snake, recently becoming a horcrux," Harry recounted, images flashing across his mind like strobe lights.

"Very bad, yet helpful news indeed," Dumbledore stated. He strode quickly to his office and immediately the gargoyle jumped out of his and Harry's way. Once up to his study, Dumbledore retrieved a stone basin filled with water, or at least Harry thought it was water. It had a sort of whitish color as if it was heavily diluted milk.

"Professor, what is that?" Harry asked, about to dip his finger into the substance. Albus swiftly grabbed his hand. He shook his head and Harry quickly stuffed his hand back into his pocket.

"This is a pensieve, Harry," Dumbledore said. He looked dully at the basin and plucked his wand from a pocket Harry didn't notice before. "This can store any memory of a wizard so one can look at it from a third person viewpoint. It has served me well for many years." He pulled a memory from his mind with his wand and let it drift slowly into the pensieve.

Harry stared in wonder. "Very interesting. What do you need it for?" Harry asked, although he felt he already knew."

"I would like to look at your memory of you writing to Tom and compare notes to some memories I have of him from my past," Albus explained. He smiled and put the basin away. "Now, I believe it's time we took a little break."

"Yeah, I want to go to bed. I could probably go back up to the room and take a short nap. Then we could—"

"No Harry, you misunderstood me. After such a stressing event such as the mental siege from such a powerful wizard, one's mind can hardly focus on such weighty issues such as this. Take this weekend off. Go back to France, where Fleur has undoubtedly been worrying. Heaven knows Sirius has explained as best as he could but… I don't think his description really cuts it." Dumbledore smiled and patted Harry's shoulder.

"I think that we could all do with some rest with friends and family," Albus said, staring at the window, watching the sun begin to set on the horizon, "A war is coming. Soon, there will absolutely be no time to rest. We must enjoy it while we can."

Harry smiled uneasily. He personally felt fine, well no, he didn't, but Voldemort didn't take breaks and neither should they. Dumbledore was not taking no for an answer however. The next thing he knew, green fires erupted all around him and he entered the swirling green and black of the floo network. "Sirius' house!" he had shouted.

Harry tumbled through the fireplace straight onto his face. This reminded him of when he had returned after being kidnapped. Harry supposed in a sense, he did get kidnapped. Mentally, of course.

The aroma hit him before he saw anything. It definitely smelled good. Harry supposed Sirius had finally gotten decent at cooking. He entered the kitchen, still inhaling deeply with a small dreamy smile on his face. Instead of a lean, shaggy-haired ex-con Harry saw a woman with olive skin and raven black hair with an apron tied around her waist.

"You're not Sirius," Harry commented dumbly. The woman turned surprised and nearly shouted. As fast as lightning, Harry was upside-down, hanging by his ankle with the woman pointing her wand at him.

"And neither are you," She glared, Harry heard the door open behind him. "Oh, hello dear. I was just dealing with an unexpected guest," she said brightly. Harry shivered at the woman's tone. What happened to—

"I'm glad to see you've finally met Harry, Hestia dear," Sirius said nonchalantly

"As in, Harry Potter?" she asked, a little shocked and very quickly turning red. Harry groaned.

"That would be me," Harry grumbled. Hestia immediately squeaked and Harry fell on his head, "Thank you oh so much, Ms?"

"Hestia. Hestia Jones, Mr. Potter," she introduced herself, holding out her hand to shake his. Harry rubbed his head but shook her hand.

"Well! Now that you two are acquainted, let's get on to the juicy stuff, huh? I've been worried sick about you when Riddle kidnapped you, again," Sirius said perturbed, smiling weakly.

"Well, Dumbledore was obviously trying to break into his occlumency shield but it wasn't going too well. I managed to escape the mental cell Voldemort had built for me and I eventually found an exit of sorts. Me finding it and Voldemort trying to stop me got Dumbledore's attention. We then quickly booted Riddle out of my head and now he's going to destroy the horcrux," Harry explained. Sirius nodded.

"Well, one down and um… how many did he even make?" Sirius asked.

"He made seven, unfortunately," Harry answered morosely. Sirius choked. Hestia looked very confused.

"What are horcruxes exactly?" she asked, patting Sirius' back. He was as white as a sheet of paper.

"They're a very dark magic that through a murder ritual, allow the user to split their soul and put it into an object, essentially making them immortal. They also have a really interesting feature of being able to slowly possess those who interact with the objects," Sirius told her, his voice almost a whisper.

"At least we know what they are," Harry said optimistically. Sirius brightened a little.

"Really? What are they?" Sirius asked.

"The diary obviously, me but that's taken care of, a snake that was recently created, a family ring, Ravenclaw's diadem, Slytherin's locket, and Hufflepuff's cup," Harry listed. Sirius cocked an eye at the last two.

"I suppose it's a good thing I'm a Black then. As Lord of the house, I constantly get mail about my vaults. Bellatrix currently has the cup of Hufflepuff in hers and I'm pretty sure I've heard of that locket from my brother. Unfortunately I think I'm going to have to go back Grimmauld Place if I'm going to find this locket," Sirius said gravely. Harry nodded in understanding. Grimmauld Place was where Sirius grew up until he was sixteen. He didn't really like his family.

"I suppose we will, on Monday," Harry said, "Dumbledore wants to give me a break. I don't like it but I'm not going to go against him on this."

"Well, we could always take most of the weekend off. I could always pop down to my old stomping grounds and we could see about this locket and cup," Sirius said, a mischievous glint in his eyes. Harry smiled.

"What could possibly go wrong?" Harry shrugged. Sirius smirked.

"That's the spirit! Now, I think you should probably go to Fleur. God knows she's been worried sick about you, again," Sirius said. Harry smiled sadly.

"It hasn't been an easy summer, has it?" Harry asked. Sirius snorted.

"That is the biggest understatement of the century, Harry," Sirius joked.

 **A.N.**

 **Thank you all for reading the 15th installment of Beauxbaton's! I hope you all enjoyed! Please review ~Patchwork Dr.**


	16. Chapter 16

"Hey Fleur, Harry said as he entered the living room of the Delacour Mansion. She looked up, startled.

"Harry? You're finally awake!" she exclaimed. Harry was engulfed in a hug that was probably disfiguring his spine. Harry patted her back. Fleur ended the hug quickly and brushed herself off. "Sorry 'Arry," she murmured.

Harry squeezed her shoulder and half-smiled. "I definitely need to stop getting into these situations, huh?" he asked. Fleur snorted.

"Zat is putting it lightly," she said. Quickly Harry conjured a rose and handed it to her.

"I know it's not a very good apology, .To say sorry properly," he stammered. Fleur laughed lightly and set the rose down on the kitchen table.

"I would be delighted, Monsieur Potter," Fleur purred. Harry turned more red and Fleur internally laughed at the boy's expression.

Harry couldn't believe he was going red! In all of the years he had known this girl. Not once had she been able to truly make him feel embarrassed! He smiled widely, which made him want to slap his forehead. 'Relax Harry! You've known Fleur for too long to be acting like this around her!' he thought.

"Wonderful!" he said eagerly. He took a deep breath and then smiled more naturally, "I mean, good. Dinner then? The L'Astrance?"

"Very fancy, Monsieur. Tomorrow evening works for me." Fleur winked at him. She had finally made him blush! Of course, she'd done this before but not to this level! She was secretly very excited about going to dinner with him but, he didn't need to know that.

"Alright then, I'll see you then," Harry said promptly.

"It's a date then," she said with satisfaction. He started sputtering and Fleur led him to the door. "See you then, Harry," she cooed, closing the door swiftly. Harry stood out there, stunned, for another minute or two before he shook his head.

"Why did I have to ask her out?" Harry whined to himself.

Harry got back to the Black House and talked to Sirius about asking out Fleur. By the end of his embarrassing summary, Sirius was roaring with laughter. Harry huffed and Sirius sniffed, "Well kiddo, I have to say that you're really lucky Fleur likes you. From what i've heard, you were really flustered, huh?" Sirius snorted. Harry scowled.

"Piss off, Sirius," he grumbled.

"Aw come on, pup. She said yes after all! We should be celebrating!" he exclaimed, grinning like a clown. Harry shrugged but still frowned.

"I mean, I guess."

"But since you're going on a—"

"No. It's not a—" Harry sputtered.

"—date with Fleur, you're going to need to wear something really nice," Sirius said, grabbing Harry by the shoulder and smirking. "How about a nice suit, eh?" he joked, nudging Harry playfully. Harry stuck his tongue out at Sirius.

"I suppose it isn't the worst idea you've ever had. That probably goes to that time with the prank that involved Professor Moreau," he chuckled. Sirius snorted.

"What can I say? She was pretty and I wanted her attention." Sirius grinned. Harry smirked.

"Oh yes, you definitely got her attention. She was certainly creative in your punishment."

"I still think purple eyes and green hair suited her better than most," Sirius protested. Harry laughed. It was good to be back. Maybe Albus was right. A little break seemed to be just what the doctor ordered.

Sirius very quickly whisked Harry to a squib tailor where they got him a nice three piece suit that "made his eyes pop." according to the outfitter. Sirius smirked and nodded after Harry tried on the whole outfit.

"Sirius, why do we have to do this? I've got some nice clothes back at the house?" Harry whined as the tailor was adding some final touches.

"Well, you're doing what many wizards will never do and that's go on a date with a veela."

"She's half veela, Sirius," Harry corrected.

"Let's not split hairs, Harry," Sirius said. "Anyways, because the woman you're going on a date with is a veela—"

"Not a date, Sirius," Harry chimed.

Sirius scowled. "Whatever Harry. When you go to dinner with a beautiful girl such as Fleur you need to dress for the occasion," he explained with vigor. Harry rolled his eyes and smiled when the tailor finally allowed him to come down from the small platform for measuring.

"Not bad kiddo. You're gonna knock Fleur's socks off." Harry huffed.

"I certainly hope this is worth the effort," Harry grumbled. Sirius gave him a thumbs up.

"It will be, don't worry," Sirius assured him. Harry sighed and shrugged his shoulders.

"Alright, I'm trusting in you Sirius," Harry resigned. "Even though that's probably a bad Idea in most circumstances," Harry muttered. Sirius grinned.

The next day Harry was very anxious. Every minute that ticked made Harry more and more nervous. He was constantly looking in the mirror and tried to fix his messy hair. "Don't worry so much, darling. The girls love messy hair," the mirror encouraged. Harry scowled and continued fidgeting.

Soon, Harry found himself in front of the restaurant, his heart pounding. A loud crack echoed down the street and Fleur walked out of a nearby alley. She looked absolutely stunning. Her one shoulder silver evening gown shimmered as if it was made of diamonds. Her earrings sparkled and brought out her eyes magnificently. "Bonjour, Monsieur Potter," she smirked.

"Hello Ms. Delacour," Harry greeted after steeling his nerves. "You look lovely this evening."

"You as well," she said with approval. They both looked into each other's eyes for a few moments before Harry snorted and Fleur laughed. She hugged him and they both entered the restaurant.

It was rather small but beautifully decorated nonetheless. Honey yellow chairs went beautifully with the crisp white tablecloths and coffee brown walls. He smiled and approached the waiter. They were immediately taken to the second floor of the restaurant. The pair sat at a smaller table that overlooked the second floor. Fleur looked around and then smiled at Harry.

"Very nice," she complimented. Harry smiled as well.

"I'm glad you like it."

The waiter brought them both a glass of water, "Combien de cours voulez-vous?" he asked.

"Nous aurons trois cours," Fleur said. Harry processed the French quickly and nodded in agreement. The waiter nodded, writing the number down.

"Three course meal, huh?" Harry said, "Sounds good,"

The food arrived shortly after. Dinner was very quiet except for the occasional bout of conversation. Harry wasn't really sure what to talk about. All he could think about was the horcruxes and the looming threat of Voldemort.

Fleur, on the other hand, was thinking of recent events regarding Harry. He'd been taken from her by Voldemort twice and she didn't know what to do. She wanted to help, but he was acting distant and Fleur was becoming frustrated. She huffed bitterly and quickly put on a fake smile.

"So Harry, what do you plan to do now that you're free from the horcrux?" she asked quickly. He frowned in thought and then shook his head and smiled. He wasn't the only one faking a smile.

"Well, we definitely need to get rid of the other horcruxes before we can kill Voldemort once and for all," Harry explained. "You shouldn't worry about that though, Dumbledore and I have it handled," he assured her. She wanted to shout at him.

"So there is nothing I can do?"

"Don't worry about it Fleur, we have everything under control," he assured her. He internally winced. They definitely did not have it under control and they were almost completely in the dark regarding the nature of horcruxes. Fleur sighed dejectedly. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"Don't worry about me, Harry," she muttered resentfully. Harry looked like he wanted to push the subject but he kept his mouth shut. The rest of the dinner passed with light conversation and long, sullen silences.

"Come on, Fleur! We should go to the Eiffel Tower! It's been a long time since I could just enjoy the sights of Paris!" Harry enthused. Fleur rolled her eyes and followed his lead.

"You always did love the tourist spots," Fleur chuckled. Harry grinned and marched forward. They weaved through the streets and alleys, quickly arriving at the base of the tower.

"It never gets old," Harry breathed. Fleur nodded. They walked around the base for awhile before boarding an elevator. Harry smiled and leaned against the rail. The city's lights twinkled like stars. Harry closed his eyes. The sounds of the city echoed below. He missed Paris.

"Enjoying the view?" Fleur asked behind him. Harry look at her but nodded.

"Every time it just gets better," Harry said. Fleur regarded him before leaning against the rail next to him.

"I enjoy it as well but I think you have more of a love for the sights. Why is that?" Harry thought for a few minutes before speaking.

"I think it's because it's a nice reminder that this is where my home is. No matter what happens, I can always come back here and know that even with all the bad things, there's still a home. I was liberated from the Dursleys, I met my godfather, and most importantly, I met you. Without you, I wouldn't be here," Harry explained nervously. Fleur felt the sting of a tear in her eye. She wiped it away before Harry could notice it.

"Thank you, Harry. That means a lot to me," Fleur said. Harry nodded, still looking at the city below them. She wrapped her arms around Harry. He stiffened in surprise for a second before wrapping his arms around her. They stood there for what seemed like hours to Fleur. Eventually they untangled from each other and Fleur smiled weakly.

"I'm glad I spent the evening with you, Fleur," Harry said. "I'm heading back to Britain tomorrow to hunt for another horcrux and I'm happy to see you before I go again." Fleur furrowed her brow and frowned.

"Already? I thought Dumbledore said—"

"I know what he said but I've got a good lead on two horcruxes. We need to finish him as soon as possible," Harry said firmly.

"But can't you wait one more day? We could go do something fun tomorrow, just you and me," Fleur asked feebly.

"I'm sorry Fleur but I have to do this," Harry refused. Fleur wanted to lock the boy up in a hidden room and throw away the key. He was so firm in his mission that he would die before taking a break! That was the last straw.

"Enough, Harry Potter! You are not going to Great Britain tomorrow! I am so sick of you running off and trying to kill yourself on this mission that you've been forced into! What's worse is you keep trying to keep me in the dark about most of the entire Voldemort fiasco! I thought I was your friend! You're supposed to confide in me!" Fleur shouted, smacking him across the cheek. He looked stunned.

"What? What are you talking about, Fleur? I need to do this! If I don't, a lot of people could die and every second is another second Voldemort could kill someone. He's a ticking time bomb and it seems like I'm the only bloody one that can kill him!" Harry yelled back. Fleur scowled.

"One day will not lose you the war Harry! You can enjoy your life sometimes you know! You know what? I'm done. Go off on your own and kill the Dark Lord, but I'm done with waiting for your to maybe turn up alive again," Fleur said, defeated.

"Wait Fleur—"

"What, Harry?" she growled.

"I…" Harry faltered.

"Spit it out, Harry," she commanded.

"I love you," he muttered, going very red

"What?"

"I love you," Harry said louder

"What are you talking about?" Fleur asked, still frowning.

"I mean it's just… I feel so good when I'm around you and I think I started recognizing those feelings when I was taken by the horcrux. I heard your voice and it helped me escape and—" Harry was stopped in his tracks when Fleur leaned in and kissed him. His eyes went wide. This was not how he expected his night to go.

 **A.N.**

 **Beta'd by the wonderful Kayle2! Seriously you help me improve my writing with every chapter. Thank you all for reading! Review and enjoy! ~Patchwork Dr**


	17. Chapter 17

Harry gripped Sirius' sleeve. He squeezed his eyes shut and after a loud 'pop' they disapparated from the Black Mansion. He appeared in front of #12 Grimmauld Place only a second later. Harry instantly felt the familiar dizziness he got from apparition and disapparation.

"God I hate wizard travel," he groaned. Sirius patted his back and smirked.

"It may have its issues, but it's a hell of a lot faster than traveling like muggles," Sirius said. Harry scowled at him.

"Let's get this over with," he said. They both entered the old house and were greeted with cobwebs and dust. Harry coughed and sneezed.

"Home sweet home," Sirius let out an exasperated sigh. Harry rubbed his nose and looked around.

"It's not a pleasant environment. It's a good thing Fleur isn't here or she'd have a fit over this mess," he joked. Sirius nodded in agreement. They headed upstairs to Regulus' room and opened the door. Like the rest of the house, it was dusty and filled with cobwebs. Harry looked around for a moment before stepping into the room.

"Alright. I suppose we should look for clues now," Sirius said as he stepped into the room. He started rummaging through the dresser as Harry moved to the nightstand. There was a few minutes of silence before Harry brushed his fingers over a silver locket.

"Sirius I think I found it!" Harry said excitedly. Sirius walked over and examined the locket.

"Alright, let's see what we're dealing with," Sirius pressed the button on the locket. It clicked open and Sirius gasped. Air swirled around them. Harry felt his ears pop. The locket itself was nothing special. However, when the shades of Lily and James Potter and Harry appeared in front of him he could only gape.

"Stupid little runt of his family," said Lily's shade.

"A lying traitor," James' shade joined in.

"You are a disappointment to us. Nothing but a cowardly little rich boy." Harry's shade sneered.

"No! That's not true!" Sirius shouted over the cackling of the shades.

"I had the perfect little family, and then you showed up and ruined it," Harry's shade said. Sirius' knees bucked and he started sobbing into his hands. Harry knelt in front of Sirius and shook him by the shoulders

"Sirius! Get up! They aren't real! They're using magic to mess with your mind!" Harry shouted. He briefly looked back at the locket before grabbing grabbing Sirius' shoulder. Sirius removed his hands from his face. His eyes were empty as if he was recently released from Azkaban again. Harry shoved Sirius out of the way.

"Leave him alone!" Harry shouted at the locket. The shade of himself disappeared only to be replaced by Fleur.

"Hello son. I must say you've turned out to be quite the disappointment." James said.

"I feel the same way, darling. Our little runt has been nothing but a waste since the day he was born." Lily agreed.

"Isn't amazing what a little fake smile and nice words can do for such a lonely little boy?" Fleur mocked. Harry gritted his teeth. This wasn't real, he knew that.

"Come on Tom!" Harry said with defiance. The shades faltered for a moment. This gave Harry enough time to pull his wand out and point it at the shades.

"What are you going to do Harry?" Fleur's shade said. She grinned and stepped towards him. Harry steeled his nerves.

"Feindfyre evocare!" Harry bellowed. Fire bathed the locket and leapt across the floor and onto the walls. The shades screeched and tore at their faces. Slowly, they melted into a black substance and leaked across the floor, being consumed by the feindfyre along with the room. Harry turned to see Sirius coming to his senses.

"Harry? What happened?" He asked, stumbling to his feet. The fire raged, creeping slowly towards them. It roared like a lion, consuming everything inside the room.

"No time! We need to leave, now!" Harry shouted, grabbing Sirius by the collar and hauling him into the hall. He slammed the door shut and sprinted to the stairs. Sirius was hot on his heels.

"What the bloody hell happened, Harry?"

"Do you really want me to explain now?" Harry said shrilly. The door to Regulas' room shuddered and with a loud bang, it was thrown clean off its hinges. Sirius yelped and transformed into padfoot, sprinting even faster now.

"Bombarda!" Harry shouted, blowing off the front doors. The fire had consumed the entire second story and was halfway down the stairs. Harry and Sirius could only stand there as the flames ate away at the floors, walls and ceilings of the old Black mansion.

"Wait, can't you put this out?" Harry asked. Sirius shook his head, his eyes filled hatred.

"I have no intentions of letting this old house continue to exist," Sirius growled. Harry looked at him for a moment before surveying the burning house once more.

"Once this place is burned down, you'll stop it?" Harry asked, still observing the monstrous flames eating away at the old house. Sirius nodded solemnly.

"This hellhole will not stand any longer," Sirius said gravely. He sounded as if he had rehearsed it, like he was preparing to say goodbye to someone, or in this case, something.

"You never intended to just destroy the locket, did you?" Sirius regarded him for a moment but didn't answer. Soon, the flames had consumed the mansion totally. Sirius countered the curse and the flames died down and eventually sputtered into nothingness. Harry patted Sirius' shoulder.

The air was still and quiet. It was as if the world was holding it's breath. Harry felt shivers go down his spine. He couldn't turn away from the smoldering ashes of the old house. The wind suddenly turned harsh. Harry shielded his eyes and gritted his teeth. A scream echoed through the streets, forcing Harry to screw his eyes shut and cover his ears. Then, as quickly as it started, the wind died down. The screaming stopped. The two wizards were left with a destroyed house once more.

"Let's get out of here before any muggles show up," Harry said. Sirius nodded and grabbed Harry by the arm and with a pop, both of the wizards were gone, leaving only charcoal, rubble and smoke behind.

"Two horcruxes down, a bunch more to go. We did good," Sirius said, smiling. Harry scowled.

"There are still more out there, though. I can feel them now," Harry replied darkly, glaring out the window. Sirius clapped his shoulder.

"Come on, kid! We did good, well not good, but hey, the horcrux is gone now!" Sirius said. Harry sighed and nodded.

"I guess we should go tell Dumbledore," Harry said. Sirius nodded in agreement and walked to the fire place.

"Dumbledore's office!" Sirius demanded. Green fire swirled around him and in a flash of fire, he was gone.

Dumbledore stared into his fire that just flared twice, spitting out both Harry and Sirius, "Ah! What can I do for you, boys?" He asked. Sirius brushed off the soot on his robes and both of them sat in the armchairs across from the headmaster.

"Sir, we are here to report that the locket of Slytherin has been destroyed," Harry said. Dumbledore's eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"Oh! Well, I did ask you to wait the weekend but knowing you, you wouldn't listen to me. Excellent work," Dumbledore chuckled.

"Now that we've gotten rid of this one, we need to talk strategy. We also have to discuss the other horcruxes and we should probably start recruiting. Three people just won't cut it against a guy like Voldemort," Harry said. Sirius nodded.

"We definitely will need more than just us. Maybe we can restart the order. Dumbledore?" Sirius glanced nervously at Dumbledore.

"Well, it definitely will not be the same as the last war. We do not have the support of the ministry but that also means we don't have to answer to them. Knowing Minister Fudge, he'll try to actually go against us," Dumbledore though out loud.

"Um, Headmaster? We won't need to worry about resources like that, now that I'm the head of the Black family, we've got all the money we need," Sirius said, grinning. Dumbledore's expression brightened.

"Yes, that is good. If all three of us are in agreement, I'll have to make a few calls," Albus said, his eyes twinkling.

"We should try to get the old order back together then, we can work on recruiting new wizards and witches," Sirius said.

"Let's have the meeting this Thursday evening. That should give us enough time to gather a basic foundation of the order." Harry realized something that baffled him.

"Headmaster, what is the order?"

"We are reigniting a group that fought against Voldemort's tyranny during the first war led by myself. It was called, The Order of the Phoenix," Dumbledore explained, his eyes twinkling brightly.

Harry and Sirius left Albus' office after agreeing to hold the first meeting the coming Thursday night. They also agreed to help contact some of the old members for the meeting, before introducing anyone new.

"Come along, Harry. We've got a lot of work to do," Sirius said.

"Where are we going?"

"To see an old friend," Sirius replied, grinning. Sirius grabbed Harry's shoulder and apparated away.

"Where are we?" Harry asked, looking at the shabby house in front of him.

"We're here to see a good friend of your parents, Harry," Sirius said. He rapped on the hard wooden door. They stood for five minutes before Sirius sighed, "I always was the reckless one."

Suddenly, Sirius kicked the door. It flew open revealing a dark hallway. Far down the corridor, there was a flickering candle. Sirius stepped through the doorway and looked around. He sniffed in disdain for the shabby looking cottage and looked through the nearest doorframe.

"Why did they have to lock you up here, you old dog?" Sirius mumbled, touching the walls with a sense of familiarity. Harry stepped inside after getting over the shock that they were breaking and entering, even if it was for a good cause.

"Seriously Sirius, where are we?" Harry asked, starting to feel paranoid in the dim hallway. Sirius turned and looked at him silently. His face looked as if it had aged fifty years yet, a playful spark was in his eyes. Harry was very confused and starting to feel on wood ceiling above them creaked and groaned. Sirius glanced up.

"He's upstairs," Sirius whispered, pointing to a small staircase leading to the second floor. Harry nodded. Walking through the hall, Harry poked his head into each of the rooms. The last room before the staircase was almost completely empty. The walls had long gash marks. There was a photograph on the ground in the farthest corner. It had fallen from a small shelf that was currently split down the middle.

A man that looked very similar to Harry was waving, his arms slung over the shoulders of a very young looking Sirius Black. Sirius' face was so bright and full of hope, as if nothing bad could ever happen to him. He ran his hand through his unruly locks. On the other side was a boy with a polite smile, however it twitched slightly, as if ready to break into a full grin. His eyes were tired and his robes were shabby yet he looked truly happy. The boy with Harry's looks laughed silently and hugged the boys next to him tighter. A golden snitch hovered next to his ear. He quickly snatched it out of the air and winked.

"Oh yeah, I remember when we took that picture," Sirius said from behind him. Harry jumped and nearly dropped the photograph.

"Sorry, I just haven't really seen many pictures of you and my dad. You guys look so happy," Harry observed, holding the picture as if it were made of glass, like it could shatter any minute, lost to him forever. He stared at the picture, trying to memorize the last details of his father's face before he would have to put it back. Sirius sighed.

"Yeah, that's one of the few times I was actually happy. James and Remus could never fail at bringing me out of my moods. I miss him a lot," Sirius said, choking up. Harry nodded, his eyes never leaving the picture. A creak from upstairs snapped him out of the daze.

"I suppose we should go now, no point in looking back now. We've got a job to do," Harry said, placing the photo back on the ground. Sirius sniffed and nodded.

"Yep, let's go recruiting," Sirius said. He walked out of the room after giving the picture one last glance before walking upstairs. The creaking got louder as they got closer to the main bedroom. Sirius smiled and opened the door.

"Sirius?" A voice asked in disbelief.

"It's good to see you again, Remus. It's been far too long," Sirius said. Harry glanced over Sirius' shoulder at the man that had been his father's other best friend.


	18. Chapter 18

"Hey Remus," Sirius said and stepped forward. He sighed and looked his best friend in the eyes. Remus was still, his body tight as if he expected to run at any moment. Harry looked at the shabby man curiously. Sirius had told him a little about his school days however it hurt to talk about so that was one subject Harry didn't approach.

"Hello Sirius," Remus said slowly, finally moving. He relaxed, if only a little.

"I know I haven't been the best friend these past years but-" Sirius was cut off by Remus bear hugging him. A few tears leaked from Remus' eyes.

"I've just been so alone… I didn't know if I'd ever see you again, especially after how I thought you betrayed us and with you being released I was afraid," Remus sobbed into Sirius' shoulder. Sirius patted his back and smiled.

"It's alright, Remus. I know you didn't know about the plan with Peter," He said. Remus sniffed and opened his eyes, coming face to face with Harry. Harry furrowed his brow.

"Um, hi Mr. Lupin, I'm Harry," Harry said, waving awkwardly. Remus sniffed and let go of Sirius. He smiled fondly.

"Ah yes, I remember you, Harry. Your father and I were friends in school," Remus said, shaking Harry's hand. Harry nodded. Sirius snorted.

"Not just friends. Remus, your father, and I were near inseparable back in school!" Sirius exclaimed, throwing his arm over Remus' shoulder. Remus smiled tiredly. His previous sadness had completely disappeared.

"That must have been you in that picture downstairs then," Harry said. Remus nodded.

"Yeah, that was me."

"Well Remus, I think I should tell you the main reason we came," Sirius said, quickly becoming solemn. Remus raised his eyebrow in confusion.

"What happened?" He asked, turning to face Sirius.

"There isn't an easy way to say this but, Voldemort has returned," Sirius said. Remus growled then shook his head.

"Sirius, this isn't funny," He said angrily. Sirius sighed.

"I wish I was trying to be," Sirius answered darkly. Remus inhaled deeply and fell back into a armchair behind him. He rubbed his face and exhaled slowly.

"Okay. What are we going to do?"

"Harry and I talked to Dumbledore and we think it's time we restarted the order. We came here to see if you wanted to join. If you don't want to come back, I completely understand," Sirius said, clapping Remus' shoulder. Remus turned to looked at Harry.

"You're in on this as well?" Remus asked cautiously. Harry nodded. Remus turned back to Sirius, "Then I suppose I'm in. I've fought against this tyranny once and I'll do it again."

"Good to have you on board," Harry said, shaking Remus' hand once more. Remus smiled.

"I'm glad to be on board," Remus replied.

"The first meeting's this Thursday, I will owl you the place when we get confirmation," Sirius said. Remus looked solemn.

"I don't think I'm ready for another war, Sirius," Remus said tiredly. Sirius nodded. The two hugged and Harry realized that these two were soldiers that became hardened war veterans before they even hit thirty.

"Neither am I, Moony. Hopefully we can stop it before it starts. We'll see you on Thursday evening," Sirius said, nodding. Sirius exited the house without another word. He looked exhausted.

"So where to now?" Harry asked.

"I have some family who aren't totally crazy, maybe we can start there," Sirius suggested. Harry nodded, eager to meet someone related to Sirius that wasn't out to kill him. Sirius grabbed Harry and apparated to the house of Andromeda Tonks. They knocked on the door and a man with greying hair opened the door. He looked surprised.

"Sirius? It's good to see you. It's been a few years, eh?" He asked and chuckled, "come in, come in."

"Ted? Who's at the door?" A woman called from the other room.

"It's family dear! Your cousin, Sirius Black," Ted said, as they walked into the kitchen. Harry jumped when a butcher knife embedded itself into the wall next to Sirius' head. Sirius gulped.

"Hello cousin," he said, smiling weakly.

"Don't you 'hello' me, Sirius! How could you just drop in on us after not talking for fifteen years? Jesus I haven't seen you since you were arrested!" Andromeda Tonks shouted angrily. Sirius chuckled nervously.

"Well, you see—" Sirius started before being slapped. Harry winced at the loud crack the slap made.

"I don't want to hear your excuses! Oh, it's good to see you, Sirius," Andromeda hugged Sirius tightly.

"You too, Andy," Sirius said, still a little wary.

"You must be Harry," Andromeda said, looking at Harry from over Sirius' shoulder. Harry nodded and waved weakly.

"Hello."

"It's nice to meet you, Harry. I'm Andromeda Tonks, Sirius' cousin," Andromeda said, releasing Sirius and shaking Harry's hand.

"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Tonks."

"Please, call me Andromeda," she said.

"Andy? We've got some important stuff to tell you. Do you have a sitting room or somewhere we won't be disturbed?" Sirius asked, tugging his collar anxiously.

"Follow me," she said, gesturing for them to follow her, "now, what did you want to talk to us about?" She asked, sitting down.

"Well, I know you won't like hearing this, and I wouldn't tell you this unless I thought we needed your help, and—"

"Sirius, spit it out," Andromeda said harshly. Sirius winced but nodded.

"Lord Voldemort has returned," He said grimly. Andromeda gasped.

"This had better not be a joke, Sirius, or I'll—"

"I wish it was, Andy. He's really back. Harry saw him ressurect," Sirius patted Harry on the shoulder. All of them sat for a moment, the silence was solemn.

"We're bringing the Order back. The first meeting's on Thursday. I understand if you don't want to come," Sirius said.

"Of course we'll come. We're family and family sticks together. That includes you, Harry," Andromeda said, winking. Harry smiled.

"Glad to have you on board, cousin. Harry and I must be going. All will be explained at the meeting, don't forget!" Both Sirius and Harry walked out the door.

"Wasn't that kind of too brief of a meeting, Sirius?" Harry asked. Sirius shook his head.

"No, Andromeda doesn't like to get too personal and sad, especially around kids like you. Even if I wanted to talk for longer about Voldemort, I don't think she'd let me," he explained, clapping his shoulder, "Let's head home."

Thursday night came quickly and Harry felt more and more nervous. He knew even as a teen he would play a key role in the war effort and that terrified him. He hoped the order would at least take him seriously. Soon, Harry found himself at the right hand of Dumbledore, facing at least twenty five witches and wizards who eyed him curiously.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen," Dumbledore said kindly. Many murmured hello's and a few waved in a friendly manner, "We all know why we are here. It is unfortunate yet necessary. Lord Voldemort has returned."

A few people sniffed when Dumbledore said his name, most winced like the name caused them physical pain. Harry frowned. If a name caused such a reaction what would they do if the actual wizard were to face them? Harry was already worried.

"At this time we are unprepared for another war however we must unite. Each of us can bring something to the table in order to fight the Death Eaters and the Dark Lord. Harry Potter has seen Lord Voldemort with his own and eyes and viewed his resurrection. Would you like to say a few words, Harry?"

"Erm— Yes. Hello everyone. I am Harry Potter. At the age of one I defeated the Dark Lord Voldemort. You of course already know that. I will be dedicating all of my strength into this organization and I hope you can as well. We don't have a safe path ahead of us. Even when he had just been resurrected, Voldemort was strong. If we don't unite, we'll fall. Um, thank you." Harry said nervously.

"Not exactly gold star material, but also not terrible," Sirius whispered. Harry swallowed anxiously. Dumbledore politely clapped along with a few other members. Most just looked ever curious at the boy who lived. Harry wished he was anywhere but at that table.

"Thank you for those words, Harry. Now, onto business," Dumbledore said smoothly. The rest of the meeting was mostly old friends catching up and mission assignments, Harry wanted to finish this war more than anyone, but he found himself slowly becoming bored.

"Wotcher, Harry," someone whispered from behind him. The person looked like Sirius, but Sirius was still next to him, intently listening to the assignments. Suddenly, right before his eyes, Sirius who wasn't Sirius turned much more feminine. She still had the heavy lidded eyes and the mischievous grin, but this woman had bright pink hair.

"Um, hello. You're obviously not Sirius. At least, not any more," Harry said, trying to keep from staring.

"True, but you're pretty close. I'm Nymphadora Tonks, but it'd be in your best interest to call me Tonks. You already met my mum and dad, Andromeda and Ted," She said, nodding to her parents across the table. Harry nodded, still stunned.

"So, how exactly did you—"

"Transform from my dear cousin into this beautiful form? I'm a metamorphmagus. It means I can change my body and face to look like anyone," She grinned with pride.

"Anyone?"

"Anyone."

"I must say, that is very impressive and seems pretty damn useful," Harry said. Tonks' smile widened.

"Oh you have no idea. Back in school I took after Sirius pulled quite a few extraordinary pranks," Tonks snickered. Harry scooted closer to her.

"Tell me, please?" He pleaded. Tonks laughed and told him a few pranks that she had pulled in her Hogwarts days.

"There was one where I actually got two people to fall in love! First I posed as Jeremiah Hec—"

"Thank you everyone! This has been a very important first meeting. I hope you all will carry out each of your missions successfully! Remember to be wary of everything! the Dark Lord hides in the shadows, waiting for us to slip. We must not let that happen," Dumbledore announced. Tonks looked up at him for a moment before chuckling.

"Guess the meeting's over, I guess that's our queue to leave. I suppose I'll see you later, Harry."

"Um, see you, then" Harry waved awkwardly.

The next fortnight was quiet. There were no reports of any major death eater activity. Occasionally there would be a small bout but no one turned up dead or missing, not even muggles. Harry didn't like it. He constantly felt on edge, as if Voldemort would suddenly appear and kill him, again. Of course, the logical side of Harry's mind told him that Voldemort couldn't possibly know he was alive. He still felt paranoid regardless.

One good thing that had happened was he was starting to become better friends with Tonks. He'd never had an older sister but if he did, he imagined Tonks would be a lot like one. He supposed Fleur came close but their dynamic seemed more relaxed. Harry could let his hair down more with Tonks.

"Hey, kiddo," Tonks said, ruffling Harry's hair.

"You know I hate that," Harry whined, swatting at Tonks. She laughed.

"That's why it's fun, dork! Where's the old dog?" She asked, looking around.

"Off on some mission. It seems I never see him anymore," He replied, sighing.

"Yeah I imagine that does kinda suck. At least you've got your dear cousin, probably, Tonks!" She grinned and spread her arms wide.

"You're right,"

"Of course I am! I'm great!"

"No I mean that it sucks," Tonks stuck her tongue out at him and Harry laughed.

"Well come on, Harry. Since you're not up to anything, we're going on patrol. Ol' Dung bailed on me so you're his replacement," she said, twirling her wand between her fingers.

"Are you sure? What if I mess up?"

"Don't worry, you're already doing better than Dung!"

"Really?"

"Yeah! You're not drunk off your arse!" Tonks giggled, "let's get going!"

A.N.

Hi everyone I'm so sorry for the mega delayed updates and I'm trying to find the time to write but sophomore year is figuratively kicking my ass! You probably don't care but for those that do, I will try to find time but I can't promise anything. Thanks for reading! Don't forget to review!


	19. Chapter 19

Tonks appeared in Diagon Alley with Harry in tow. The two landed on a side alley between Olivander's and a small cauldron shop. Harry looked around in wonder. Tonks grinned remembering her first time to Diagon Alley

"So, where to first?" Harry asked once he snapped out of his stupor.

"Well, typically we'll do a once over of the alley, ya know, make sure everything is in order. Then we just hang around for a few hours until the next shift comes," Tonks explained while Harry peered into a Quidditch shop.

"Uh huh," Harry said, ogling over the Turbo XXX broom that had been recently been released.

"Come on! There'll be time for window shopping later!" Tonks said, dragging Harry away from the window, much to Harry's dismay. There were many Hogwarts students there, shopping for their school supplies. Harry felt a drop in his stomach. School was starting up again. He would be going back to France. The idea of something like school was a strange concept to him. Dying, coming back, and helping to lead a war effort did that.

"It's strange seeing all these students shopping, considering Voldemort returned. I feel like we see a battlefield that is totally nonexistent to them." Harry whispered grimly to Tonks. She grabbed Harry's arm and stared into his eyes.

"Don't get all war veteran on me! I intend on winning this war and if I can mean avoid bringing the public into it, that's fine by me," Tonks stated harshly. Harry recoiled, "I'm sorry Harry, but the look on my parent's faces when they told me they were going back to the order broke my heart. I can't let them fight alone."

"I understand. It's the same way with Sirius. We got to make sure we watch out for them. We also got to look out for each other, right?" Harry asked, smiling. Tonks nodded and smiled with him.

"Absolutely."

They had finally finished their patrol of Diagon Alley and were currently in Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor. Harry was nibbling on the edge of a popsicle that occasionally changed colours and flavor while Tonks licked a vanilla ice cream cone. Harry thought it was ironic that he chose the ever changing ice cream while Tonks ate the most plain of ice cream flavors.

"So, does anything interesting happen on these patrols?"

"Nah, not really. I do occasionally have a bloke who wants to erm… hook up with me because of my special ability. That's why I don't really socialize with the people anymore," Tonks huffed. Harry snickered.

"Well, knowing my luck—" Harry began but was interrupted by a loud bang down the street. Two wizards were facing off, the crowd of people in the alley were scurrying for cover as the two traded spells.

They traded vicious and dark spells, but it seemed they weren't trying to kill each other. They were completely silent in their spell casting and their accuracy was near perfect. Harry could tell the situation was going to get a lot more dangerous very soon. Harry and Tonks immediately threw some money onto the table they were sitting at and pulled their wands.

The duelists hadn't seen them yet. Tonks took to the left of the alley and Harry went to the right. A bombarda spell was right on the tip of his tongue when the two battling wizards suddenly turned on him and Tonks.

The two wizards stared them down for a brief moment before slashing their wands at the same time, casting sickly green curses at them both. Harry dove to the ground, another half second passed and the curse flew over his head.

Harry's mind was in overdrive. One half of his brain was fueled by adrenaline and was working on keeping himself from being hit. The other was curious as to why these wizards would turn on them so abruptly, acting as a team when they had been battling each other moments before. Harry ducked and rolled, barely getting any time time cast a spell.

Tonks was fairing better than him, but only just. Spells rocketed at her. She didn't roll or duck, though. Instead, Tonks would conjure chairs, tables, nearby debris, and even chunks of the street to block the deadly curses. She held a fighting stance akin to a swordsman. She steadily inched closer, slowly gaining the upper hand.

The spells only seemed to get faster and faster as the battle progressed. Harry was finally able to stand and use conjuration and transfiguration to block the oncoming killing curses like Tonks was. They both were only a few yards from the enemies when suddenly, multiple loud pops echoed through the street.

"It's about time," Tonks growled through gritted teeth. Harry spelled the ground to rise and block the spells. That gave him enough time to see a squad of wizards and witches in black leather robes. Their wands were at the ready.

Silently, they raised their wands and all at once, fired a variety of spells. The dueling wizards stood no chance, both blasted back by the barrage of spell fire. Then, all of the wizards lowered their wands, although they were still tense. The two wizards stood deathly still. Both fell backwards, stiff as planks.

Harry and Tonks approached the two cautiously. Then, to everyone's surprise, the two wizards melted into the ground, fading into shadows. Harry furrowed his brow. Tonks frowned.

"What in the Hell?" She muttered, scratching her chin.

"Ah Ms. Tonks, fancy seeing you here," A tall African man said. His voice was deep and rich. Tonks only sniffed.

"Yeah, it was nice to see the aurors were late, as usual," She said harshly.

"I understand your frustration but—"

"We could have died, Kingsley! We need to rely on the ministry yet if Harry and I hadn't been here, there'd be a lot more carnage!" She shouted. She grabbed him by the collar and pulled him close to her face.

"Next time, you probably won't be so lucky," She growled. "You'll need to send a report to Dumbledore," Tonks whispered. Kingsley nodded faintly then scowled.

"Alright calm down, Ms. Tonks. Why don't you and Mr. Potter get out of here? We'll clean this up," Kingsley said. Harry glanced up at the man and say him wink. Harry raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything.

"Come on Harry, they've got this handled," Tonks harrumphed. Harry shrugged and followed her. She giggled once they were out of earshot.

"I'm guessing you two know each other?" Harry asked.

"Yep. Ol' Kingsley would sometimes help Mad Eye Moody train me. He's also part of the order," She explained.

"I figured but I don't remember seeing him at the meeting."

"Yeah he gets really busy being the second in command of the aurors," Tonks said, slipping her wand back into its holster. Harry hadn't noticed that before. He'd definitely need one of those.

"So I'm guessing you're going to go report to Dumbledore now?" Harry asked.

"Yes _we_ are. You were there too. He's gonna need all the information he can get on this. I don't know why but I can't shake the feeling that there was something different about this. Other than the two bad guys melting into the ground, they also didn't use words or even talk. It was like they were being controlled. I'd call imperius if it wasn't for the fact that they were so fluid in motion. People under the imperius tend to either be too stiff or too loose in their movements," Tonks huffed.

"Yeah I know. I noticed they didn't seem that intent on killing one another, but when they faced us they used almost nothing but killing curses," Harry said, a troubled look on his face.

"Let's go," Tonks said, holding Harry's shoulder. After a loud crack, the two dissapparated away. A shadowy figure removed his hood, long black hair curling around his shoulders. Another crack and the man was gone.

"Professor Dumbledore?" Tonks called out, opening the Headmasters' door just a crack.

"Come in," called Dumbledore's voice.

"We have something to report."

"The attack on Diagon Alley, yes?" Albus asked, a twinkle of curiosity shone in his eyes.

"Um, yes sir. How do you know about that?"

"I tend to have more than just one informant, other patrols and what not. However, all I know is there was an attack, and you stopped it. Care to give me the details?" He asked.

"It started when Harry and I were sitting at the ice cream parlor. Suddenly, two wizards started attacking each other for seemingly no reason. We tried to get close but they turned on us. Harry took one and I took the other. The battle lasted roughly ten minutes. The aurors arrived and finished them. Kingsley was leading so expect a report from him. Anyways, the strange part was they melted into the shadows when the aurors hit them. It was like they weren't even real," Tonks explained. Harry nodded and Dumbled leaned back in his seat.

"Is there anything else?"

"Yes sir, Tonks and I noticed that when they dueled each other, they were using dark spells but not the killing curse. Yet, when they turned on us they stopped using non lethal curses. They seemed to only use the killing curse when Tonks and I dueled them," Harry said.

"They also seemed to work really well as a team without speaking. I told Harry that they might have been controlled by imperius but they just weren't showing the signs of that curse. Maybe it was something else?" Tonks asked. Dumbledore looked troubled.

"Thank you for bringing me this information. Well done to you two. Now, I must be alone. We will discuss this in the next meeting," Dumbledore said grimly.

Yes sir," They said. Tonks and Harry left Dumbledore in his office, deep in thought.

"What game are playing at, Tom?" Dumbledore muttered, glancing at the pensieve in the corner of his office.

The Dark Lord Voldemort sat upon a black throne. At the base was what looked like human bones. Engraved in the armrests were tortured looking faces of muggle men. He lounged nonchalantly, his eyes closed in meditation.

"My lord, I have returned," A voice called out. Voldemort opened his eyes, revealing blood red pupils that pulsed with power.

"Ah yes, greetings Severus," Voldemort replied. Severus Snape swallowed.

"T-the Order of the Phoenix has indeed been reestablished. B-but I have news that you will not find pleasant," He said quietly, as if he didn't want to speak.

"Speak, my servant," Voldemort said

"H-Harry Potter has returned," Severus stuttered. Voldemort's eyes lit up with cruelty. There was dead silence and Severus shivered anxiously.

"M-my Lord?" Severus asked, his heart pounding.

"Crucio," Voldemort said cooly. Severus fell to one knee and clenched his jaw. His joints spasmed and he felt total loss of control of his body. Then, as quickly as it started, the pain curse ended. However, Severus was still shaking, leaning totally on his knee.

"I am sorry Severus, but I had to relieve some brief anger," Voldemort said, not at all apologetic. Severus didn't trust himself to respond so he only nodded.

"Now, I want you to go back to Dumbledore. Spy on him and keep a careful eye on Potter," Voldemort ordered. He twirled his wand between his long fingers and hummed in thought.

"Yes, my lord," Severus said, quickly standing and rushing to the door without actually running. He swiftly bowed to Voldemort before trying to not run through the door. Voldemort laughed cruelly.

"So Harry Potter is alive. It seems I am not the only one who has defeated death. I shouldn't have left his body. I made that mistake once but it will not happen again. I hope he is enjoying his freedom, because soon, his carcass will rot in my dungeon!" Voldemort cackled.

"Not only that, but the Order has truly returned, how nostalgic. I will have to put an end to that pesky little club of Dumbledore's as well. Soon, he will know fear, and he will bow to me," Voldemort muttered. He had much work to do, and a few new plans to put in play. This was the beginning of war.


	20. rewrite

**Hello everyone! I am very sorry to say that this fanfiction is discontinued but DO NOT PANIC! There is a rewrite in the works in which the first two chapters have been posted. If you enjoyed this, then go check that one out because it has more content, it's better written, and I am officially writing about Harry's time at Beauxbatons! Finally, no one can ask me to do it! I'm one step ahead hahahaha… anyways, enjoy the rewrite and don't forget to review!**


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